Inevitability
by LadyWordsmith
Summary: FMA AU: What if Al hadn't helped Ed with the transmutation, but Ed had done it on his own? Would they have stayed in Resembool with Winry? Would they have grown up normally? Or would Edward and Alphonse still find themselves involved in world events?
1. Chapter 1

Resembool, Amestris

Resembool, Amestris  
Older Brother 10, Younger Brother 9

Alphonse Elric watched his brother's drop of blood fall onto the gathered alchemical ingredients on the floor of their father's workroom. He looked at his own finger, and screwed up his determination. This was wrong! It was too dangerous. He took a step back and away instead of holding his finger out. "We shouldn't do this, Brother! There's too much that could go wrong. If we mess up, it could be bad!"

Edward blinked, and looked over at Alphonse with a withering glare that made Alphonse feel like a coward. "We can't stop now, Al!" he objected. "We're almost there! In a few minutes, we can have Mom back!"

"I'm not sure about that," Alphonse pushed on, now that he had started. "What if we're wrong about something? We still don't know what this is forbidden. Until we do, I think this is a bad idea."  
"Then don't help," Edward replied, rolling his eyes. Alphonse knew the look on his brother's face; he was determined, and stubbornly set about getting his way. "I'll do it on my own." Then Edward grinned at him. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mom."

"Brother…" Alphonse wasn't sure what else to say, because Ed squatted down next to the transmutation circle Alphonse had helped him draw and touched his hands to it.

At once, the circle began to glow, and the light enveloped the ingredients, whirling brightly as the transmutation began to occur. The glowing vortex gusted up wind that battered against his clothes as Al backed against the wall, eyes going wide. He was fearful, but curious; what if it did work? What if Edward really did bring their mother back?

Then it all started to go horribly wrong. The color changed, and a gaping hole opened that emitted a painful light, long black things Alphonse could not properly describe reached out, grabbing for Ed. His brother began to scream in pain.

Alphonse dashed forward, grabbing his brother as they both stared, wide eyed through the hole, and the light reached to envelop them….there was a gate on the other side that seemed to be opening but…"No! Edward!" Alphonse bellowed and kept a hold on his brother, the floor still solid beneath his feet. He tugged hard, and the two boys tumbled backwards, away from the gate.

The room fell suddenly silent as the transmutation just seemed to collapse, the bright door thing closed sharply, and Alphonse felt himself slam into the wall, with Edward on top of him. "Brother!" his voice squeaked as he tried to get up. "Brother are you okay?"

Edward was shaking violently, his eyes closed, his face pained. He whimpered. "Alphonse…. Did I do it?"

Alphonse looked up and his eyes widened as the dust settled. There was something moving. "Edward! Look!"

Edward turned and cried out.

Only then did Alphonse see what was wrong, and he nearly vomited. His brother's left leg was missing from above the knee down! "Brother! Your leg."

His brother didn't reply, he was looking at the breathing shape in the mess hopefully. "Mother!" he called out, reaching for it with hopeful, hungry eyes.

Then the dust cleared, and they could see what remained. The beast was monstrous, a misshapen mockery of human flesh with staring eyes. Alphonse felt his whole body go cold. His panic only broken by his brother's sob of pain as Edward collapsed into his lap. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way," he sobbed. "Alphonse, I'm so sorry."

"It's all right, Brother," Alphonse replied, lying for one of the few times in his life. "You need help! Hold still." Alphonse knew that, despite being a little taller than his brother, he wasn't strong enough to carry Edward for help. He grabbed a piece of cloth and tried to bind it around Ed's wound to stop the bleeding. That was what you were supposed to do right? He didn't want to see his brother die too! He did his best to move Edward out of the room and managed to get him out for help, but could barely manage to get him to the living room. Every time they moved, Edward winced, but tried not to cry out in pain. "I can't carry you," he admitted, trying not to cry himself, but failing to hold back all the tears. "I have to go get help. Don't move, Ed. I'll be right back! I promise!" With that, Alphonse stood and ran as fast as his legs would carry him out into the dark, rainy night.

It had never felt like such a long trip to Winry's house. By the time Alphonse got there he was panting, exhausted. He slammed into the front door and yanked it open without waiting politely for them to answer it. He felt guilty, but there wasn't time!

Aunt Pinako and Winry were in the room, staring at him wide eyed.  
"You're back!" Winry exclaimed in surprise. Neither Edward nor Alphonse had told the Rockbells that they had come back to Resembool yet. They had wanted to avoid answering any unnecessary questions.

"Ed's hurt!" Alphonse didn't have time to explain. "He's bleeding badly and I can't move him! Help me, please! He's going to die otherwise!"

That was all the explanation that was needed. Immediately, Aunt Pinako was on her feet, barking orders to Winry and grabbing medical supplies. They all hurried out the door back into the night.  
The trip back seemed even longer, and only as they neared the house did Alphonse realize he had no idea how to explain what had happened, or the monster he had left gasping in the room! Fortunately, Pinako didn't ask questions. Winry looked like she wanted to though, until they arrived at the Elric house. Alphonse darted inside, praying his brother was still alive.

Edward was on the couch where Alphonse had left him. He was unconscious, and he looked pale. There was a lot of blood on the couch and the makeshift tourniquet Al had attempted. It didn't look like it had done a lot of good!

Pinako cursed under her breath and got straight to work. Alphonse watched helplessly as she did her best to close Edward's wounded leg and sterilize and bandage it. "We'll move him as soon as the rain stops," she said finally, standing and wiping her hands. "You can explain yourselves later."

Despite her firm tone, Alphonse felt relief. From her words, he was pretty sure she expected Edward to live!

Edward was not in the best of spirits when he awoke, though Alphonse had expected that. His brother was hurt, and angry. "What happened to…it?" he had asked when they were alone. Alphonse told him that when they had returned to the house, the monster was gone. That was the truth and, while Alphonse wondered where it had gone, he was just relieved that no one had ever seen what his brother had done; what Alphonse had let him do. He felt bad for that. If he had tried harder, maybe his brother would still be whole.

While Edward was recovering, Alphonse spent a lot of time with him, as did Winry. There was a brief, strange visit that very night from a man who called himself Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. He said he was there in the hopes of finding their father, and offered them the opportunity to join the military and take the State Alchemy Exam. Pinako had firmly, though not without some tact, shown the man out.

Aunt Pinako and Winry were not pleased to find out what the boys had done. Winry yelled, then cried, then yelled some more until Pinako calmed her down. Alphonse was amazed that they didn't get more of a lecture than the reassurance that the boys were as stupid as they already knew they were. Edward objecting though, and insisted he'd done it on his own when Alphonse tried to take his share of the blame.

Alphonse wasn't surprised a few days later, when Edward asked Aunt Pinako to use the money their father had left to fit him with an auto-mail leg. He said he didn't want to be helpless and crippled. Alphonse thought it was a good idea, though he sat outside the door, listening with tears in his eyes when Edward went through the surgery. He was amazed that his brother didn't cry, not once. Later, Winry told him she felt the same.

"So, what will we do now, brother?" Alphonse finally got up the urge to ask one afternoon while Edward was still recovering from the initial surgery, and thus still bed ridden. "Do you think we should take up that Lieutenant Colonel on his offer?"

Edward shook his head. "What for, Al? You were right. I should never have tried to bring Mom back, but I didn't listen to you, and this is what it got me." He sounded defeated, something he never had before. "Teacher said State Alchemists are the military's dogs. Even if we could pass that exam, what good would it do? Besides, I don't like taking orders."

And that was the end of it. Alphonse didn't really think it was a good idea, but he wasn't always sure what he thought would be the same as how Edward saw a situation. That didn't mean Edward was any less determined though. He worked at his therapy after the surgery with a fervor that impressed even Pinako, completing it in the record time of a year. Alphonse only hoped his brother's spirit healed as well as his body.

Older Brother 16, Younger Brother 15

Edward Elric lay back on the bed in the empty house and sighed, the book he had been reading lying open across his stomach as he stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. Another dead end…and he was out of material. That was the last book in his father's collection.

The weather outside the open window was pretty nice. In Resembool, winters were mild, and today was sunny and warm. Ed had opened the window to let in light, as well as some fresh air. The rooms of the empty Elric house got pretty stuffy after a while. While Ed spent a lot of time there, he and Alphonse shared a room at the Rockbell house now; that was home as it had been mostly since their mother died.

Ed twitched his left leg, hearing the metal in his leg as it moved, and tapped against the side of the bed. Despite the beautiful weather, he felt irritable. Maybe it really was time to just give up. There was, he had decided, nothing he could have done differently that would have gotten the outcome he had been hoping for. Four years, and that was all he could come to. There really was no way to successfully perform a proper human transmutation; and it had taken him four years to admit it.

Not that he had mentioned to Alphonse he was still looking. His brother and he still both studied Alchemy, though they had never gone back to Izumi. Ed had feared what she would do when she found out what he had done; and Alphonse had stayed out of loyalty to his brother. Something Ed had insisted was silly until Alphonse pointed out that he would be constantly having to field questions as to why Ed hadn't come back for more training too, and how he was doing. It would just be too difficult, and Alphonse hated having to lie. So they had decided to both just stay put.

Ed supposed that had been the right decision. After all, Alphonse was happy. He was doing well in school, one of the top kids in the school in Resembool almost without trying. He loved learning new things, even about things that had nothing to do with alchemy, like history or advanced mathematics. He was several inches taller than Ed now, about the same height as Winry, athletic, and friends with everyone. Ed still couldn't beat him in a sparring match, and Alphonse even seemed to be better than him at alchemy now.

Ed fidgeted irritably and stood up; tossing the book on the pile of others he had discarded. He was glad Alphonse was happy; really he was. He felt guilty every time he caught himself feeling jealous of his brother. He shouldn't. He loved his little brother, and he'd promised Mom that he'd watch out for him.

There was no way to bring back Mom. There was no way to fix his busted leg; grateful as he was to the old lady and Winry for fixing him up with the new one and keeping it perfectly maintained, he hated the constant reminder of his biggest mistake. Leaning against the window sill, Ed looked down into the garden. Even now, every once in a while he still caught himself looking for laundry on the line, or his mother's form as she pulled weeds or picked vegetables. It was silly of course; his mother was dead as surely as his father had run off and abandoned them.

Maybe he should just go home. It seemed a shame to waste the rest of the day up here sulking about the results he had only been denying to himself were true with half-hearted hope. Intellectually, Ed had known what he would find in the end. He headed downstairs and closed the door behind him.

The walk back to the house was a familiar one, and Ed didn't even have to pay attention to the way as he walked. He had done it so many times now. When he wanted to be alone, he went to the house. No one would bother him there. The only two who ever even came looking for him were Alphonse and Winry if he was late for dinner, or lost track of time on something else. If he read too late, sometimes he would fall asleep, and Al would get him so they wouldn't be late for school.

School depressed him lately. It wasn't that Edward didn't enjoy learning; he soaked up the material as easily as Alphonse did. He could remember the facts after going through them once most of the time. Perhaps that was the problem; it wasn't a challenge. He got bored going over the same information until everyone else understood it. There was also nothing to do with it; no useful way to use the information they were getting. At least when he was reading about Alchemy, he could put most of it into practice.

He and Alphonse used alchemy in a lot of ways that helped out the people of Resembool. Usually, Ed found himself helping fix things, like broken barn doors or farm implements. They still helped shore up the river during the rainy months if it was needed. There were plenty of useful applications for basic alchemy, but it was hardly a challenge of his and Alphonse's skills.

Ed paused at the base of the hill and looked up. He stopped moving all together when he spotted Winry and his best friend, Pitt, sitting on the stairs of the house talking. Winry was chuckling, and Pitt grinned; his arm around her shoulder as he talked animatedly. Ed stifled an irrational flare of anger. How come he had never noticed how friendly Pitt and Winry were? They'd all hung around together since they were little. Lots of the kids did; there was nothing else to do in the afternoons after school most of the time anyway. But when had they gotten so chummy? And why did that bother him?

He watched until they stood, and hugged, then Winry went back inside, and Pitt, whistling, came down the drive. Ed started walking again, heading for the house, but keeping an eye on his friend. They were almost parallel before Pitt noticed him. 'Hey, runt," he grinned.

"I'm not the runt! You are, shorty!" Ed snapped.

They both stuck tongues out at each other like kids, and Ed took a swing at Pitt's head, which he dodged easily and then laughed. "Missed again, Ed. You won't ruin my mood today!"

Ed scowled. "Why not?" he asked warily, still half expecting it to be a feint so Pitt could get in a hit of his own. That happened often enough. They were best friends, but that didn't make the relationship non-violent. They both had lightning-hair tempers most days.

"Just call it my lucky day," Pitts grin widened. "I need to get home though. Catch you later okay?"

"No, not okay," Ed stopped him, turning him with one hand so Pitt couldn't just walk off. Ed's voice dropped really low. "Keep your hands off Winry, okay?"

Pitt's eyes went a little wide, then his grin returned as a smirk. "And if I don't."

"You won't have any teeth left to smile with," Ed snapped.  
For some reason, Pitt was still grinning. He laughed and pulled back, breaking his collar free of Ed's hand. "Whatever you say, lover boy."

"What was that?" Ed came forward fast, going for a gut shot.  
Pitt's grin dropped as he cut around and brought his fist into Ed's side.

In moments they were scrapping in the dirt like dogs; throwing punches, kicks, and any dirty tricks either of them could come up with. It wasn't really an uncommon site, but the commotion caught the notice of one person Ed really wished it hadn't.

"What are you two boys doing?!" Winry yelled from the balcony outside her room, glaring down the hill.

The scrap stopped only because Pitt rolled off of Ed and stood. He grinned up at Winry. "Just the usual," he laughed. "Sorry for interrupting. I need to go." He turned and walked away.

Ed got up out of the dirt and brushed himself off. Great. He was in for it now. When he looked up, Winry had vanished from the balcony. Well, maybe he would get off lucky this time!

But he wasn't that lucky. He had barely made it up the stairs to the front door when it opened and Winry came through, eyes glaring and a wrench in hand. "I'm sick of your fighting all the time, Edward" she glowered. "What was the fight about this time anyway?"

Ed opened his mouth, and then slammed it shut again. "Nothing much," he tried to hedge at the last minute.

"Right," Winry snorted in annoyance. "You don't really expect me to believe that." Then she sighed. "Not that you two don't fight over stupid things anyway."

"Hey, they aren't stupid!" Ed objected.

"Your height, who's faster, who's smarter…who can eat himself sick faster?" Winry shook her head. "You're impossible Ed. What was it about this time?"

Begrudgingly, Ed gave up. She was annoying when she got like this; and too damned persistent. "You," he admitted simply. That was bad enough!

Winry's eyes widened. "Me? What for?"

Ed shrugged. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you," he half-mumbled, hoping she wouldn't read too much into it. They were like siblings, her and himself and Al. He and Alphonse had fought about who might marry Winry when they were little; but that had been childhood games. It hadn't meant anything. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. For the past couple of years though, he'd caught himself wondering about other possibilities. Though he was sure Winry would skin him if she ever found out; or caught him noticing the way her hair moved in the wind, or the way her clothes fit; she had that habit of going around with the top half of her coveralls down leaving most of her top half exposed that made it very hard to ignore her.

"Looking at me?" Winry smirked. "If this is some misplaced display of brotherly protection, give it a rest. Pitt was just telling me about his new job."

"New…job?" That took the wind out of Edward's smart retort. "Pitt didn't mention any job to me."

"He just found out," Winry replied, her tone going surprisingly patient, and a little irritating since she sounded like she was explaining something to a kid, or maybe a patient. "He's going to be leaving Resembool to learn under a Doctor in another city."

"Leaving?" His best friend was leaving town and he hadn't told him!

"He wasn't sure how to tell you," Winry admitted with a sigh. "You should apologize."

Ed sighed. Great. "Later," he promised.

"As if you have anything better to do first," Winry replied.

"What's it to you if I do or don't anyway?" Ed retorted defensively. He was getting tired of defending his actions against questions. For some reason, that seemed to be happening more of late around here; from Winry, and Aunt Pinako, even Alphonse.

Winry looked stung for a moment, but then the expression turned to anger. "Grow up, Edward," she gave him one last glare and went back inside, slamming the door.

Ed sighed, then waited several seconds before daring to go in himself. As he closed the door, he could already hear Winry hard at work cutting metal for another piece of auto-mail. He slipped upstairs to the room he and Alphonse shared, and was unsurprised to find his brother lying on his own bed on his back, his pillow against the wall, a book propped up on his knees in front of him. "Interesting reading?" Ed asked as he sat down on his own.

"Yeah," Alphonse looked up and grinned. "It's a history of Aerugo."

Ed shook his head in amusement and couldn't help but smile a little. "You read the strangest things for fun sometimes, Al."

His little brother shrugged. "I like reading about other places. I think maybe I'd like to visit there someday. After I've seen some of our own country," he added with a chuckle. "What have you been up to, Brother?"

Ed sighed. "Officially giving up," he admitted softly. "There's nothing in any of Dad's books that's of any use." He had never right out told Alphonse what he was up to at the old house on the hill, but he suspected his brother her figured it out on his own.

As he suspected, Alphonse nodded understandingly. "I know," he admitted, something Ed had not expected. "I read them all myself too."

"What for?" It was a stupid question really; given how much they both studied alchemy. They could have entirely different reasons for reading the same books.

"I was hoping…" Now Alphonse looked a little embarrassed. "I was hoping to find a way to get your leg back to normal."

Ed sighed. "I told you, Al. It's not your problem, or your fault."

"But I should have tried harder, Brother," Alphonse replied. "I should have stopped you."

"You tried," Ed replied. This was an old argument, and it always seemed to go the same way; but they still had it. "I didn't listen. That's my fault, not yours."

"I could have tried to fight you," Alphonse said.

"And when we were done, I would have done it anyway," Ed countered. "You know that. It was my mistake, my blame to take; end of story."

"I still feel guilty."

"Don't!" Ed sighed in exasperation. "Forget it, Al. If I say it's my fault it's my fault okay?"

"Why?" Alphonse asked.

"Because I'm your big brother, that's why."

Alphonse chuckled. "Say that again when we're standing, Brother."

"I AM NOT A TINY LITTLE ANT!"

"I didn't say you were," Alphonse replied, but he was laughing as Ed seethed.

After a few seconds, Ed's temper ebbed again. "I'm starved. When's dinner?"

"Aunt Pinako said it would be a little late tonight," Alphonse commented, looking back down at his book. "She and Winry have a rush job to finish that they have to deliver tomorrow."

"Great." Ed felt his stomach turning as it rumbled. "Maybe I should just go rummage through the pantry. We'd have better luck of eating a real meal tonight." When Pinako and Winry got busy, food got scarce fast.

"We could offer to make it ourselves," Alphonse pointed out. "It's not that difficult, and they'd probably appreciate it."

"Yeah," Ed smiled. "You're right. Let's go see what's in the kitchen we can make without messing it up too badly."

Alphonse chuckled and stood. "We're better cooks than that, Brother. Besides, I'm sure Aunt Pinako and Winry will appreciate whatever we make."

The next morning wasn't a school day, thank goodness, so Ed didn't have to worry about keeping to someone else's schedule. He slept in a little, and when he woke up it was well after sunrise, and he could smell the heavenly scent of breakfast cooking below and wafting up through the house. He pulled on his favorite pair of black pants, and a red t-shirt and headed downstairs.

Alphonse and Pinako were in the kitchen, and Pinako was fixing breakfast. Ed dropped down into his usual seat with an appreciative sniff. "Smells great, Grans," he grinned. "I'm famished."

"Aren't you always," Pinako chuckled, but she seemed to be in a good mood this morning.

"Maybe he's growing," Alphonse snickered as Pinako served up breakfast.

"Yeah, I wish," Ed chuckled, shrugging. He was always hungry, but he didn't seem to get much taller.

"Could be, pipsqueak," Pinako commented as she put breakfast on his plate too. "It's been a few months since we adjusted your automail, and it would be about time."

Ed's face darkened. "Don't call me pipsqueak."

"Oh relax, Edward," Alphonse chuckled. "You're too defensive. Besides, you should just be glad when you grow it's up!"

Ed glared at his brother, but his mouth was full so he couldn't retort immediately. By the time he took a drink of juice and swallowed, the moment had passed. "Where's Winry?" he asked.

"Asleep," Pinako replied with a chuckle. "Poor kid was up till nearly dawn working on that leg piece."

"Did the order get finished?" Alphonse asked.

"Yeah. Who was it for?" Ed asked. The Rockbells got special orders sometimes from people who couldn't travel out this far.

"A little girl in East City," Pinako replied as she sat down at the head of the table. "There was an accident, and her right leg and arm were crushed."

"That's awful," Alphonse exclaimed.

Pinako nodded. "But that's why we're here isn't it?" She added, smiling. "What we do helps people get on with their lives, instead of sitting around and missing out on them because of something they couldn't control."

Ed felt his mood dropping. Yeah, poor kid. Pinako had done the same thing for him, but what had he really done since then? Other than live in Pinako's house, eat her food, and help out around the house sometimes? He knew they were practically family, but that didn't make him feel like he should be doing something more productive. After all, even his co-conspirator in mischief for years, Pitt, was about to go off and learn how to be a real doctor.

"It's great that you can help people so far away," Alphonse  
replied to Pinako. "Winry should be proud of her work too."

"She is," Pinako chuckled. "Though she keeps wanting to improve it. She says she wants to expand the business someday, really 'put us on the map.' I told her, if she wants to do that, she should leave Resembool for a while."

"Leave?" That caught Ed's attention. "Where would she go?" Winry had never mentioned the possibility of leaving.

"Rush Valley most likely," Pinako replied as she ate. "That's the best place; the hub of commerce for auto-mail design."

Now that Pinako mentioned it, Ed vaguely remembered Rush Valley as being listed as a stop on another train when they had changed trains just North of Dublith. The other train had led North, to Central City from there, and Rush Valley had been listed as one of the major stops. "That's pretty far away," he commented.

"It is," Pinako nodded. "But you know Winry."

"It's not that far," Alphonse replied. "Only a few days by train after all. Think of being that close to Central too." From his tone, Alphonse sounded like he thought this was a great idea.

"Interested in seeing Central, Alphonse?" Pinako asked with some amusement.

Ed watched his brother's face flush, a little embarrassed apparently. "Well, yeah," Alphonse replied. "Actually," he admitted, smiling. "I was thinking it might be neat to attend the University there. You know, when I'm old enough."

Pinako smiled. "That sounds like a fine idea. You've got quite a head for knowledge. There's a lot you could do with that kind of education."

"I don't know what I'd do after yet," Alphonse chuckled. "But I want to travel too I think, and see some of the places I've only read about."

Ed felt his stomach sinking. So Al wanted to leave too. Well, he knew his brother wanted to travel, what had he really expected? That they would spend the rest of their lives in Resembool? Living in this house like nothing had changed? He stuffed the last few bites in his mouth and stood up. "Thanks for breakfast, Aunt Pinako. I'm going for a walk." He was a little abrupt, but he'd remembered to thank her. He pushed in his chair and headed outside.

Not that he really knew where he was going. He didn't really want to go back up to the old house. There was little to draw him there with the knowledge that there were no possible secrets remaining inside. "What now, Edward?" he asked himself aloud as he started out across the fields behind the house instead. It was a question he couldn't even answer in the short term. The long term just confused him. Everyone seemed to be growing up, moving on, looking forward to a bright future… and he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself. Other than Alchemy, he wasn't much good for anything else. He had no interest in auto-mail aside from being able to do basic self-maintenance. He enjoyed learning, but he didn't think a University was the right place for him. Not because he wasn't smart enough, he just didn't have any interest in going. He preferred choosing his own topics of study and why pay for it when he could learn it all on his own time if he cared to?

Eventually, Winry would go. He knew it. He was actually surprised she hadn't gone to Rush Valley already, and that thought hurt him. Alphonse would go in a few years, and Ed had no doubts his brother would get into the University. He was the perfect student; eager, attentive, responsible. Pitt was already leaving; a few months older than Ed, and off to do something serious and helpful with his life.

And Ed had no plans at all. What could he really do anyway? He was an alchemist. That should be enough; it was for Izumi. She was married to Seg, and they lived behind the Meat shop, and she was perfectly happy it seemed, helping out the community around her. That was what being an alchemist was supposed to be all about; and he and his brother did that for the people of Resembool when it was truly needed. But that wasn't enough for him. Ed hated sitting still and now it felt like his entire life was doing just that and it rankled.

He was in a pretty sour mood by the time he found himself down by the river. He sat down in the grass near the water's edge, and grabbed a handful of smooth flat rocks. With a practiced flip of his left hand he tossed a stone out into the river and watched it sip four, five, six times. He was one of the best stone skippers around. But what good did that do him?

Lately, things he had always enjoyed had begun to seem trivial; unimportant. He was sixteen, and he had never done anything important in his life. He was no more useful than saving people a few hours of hard work in most cases. At least he was good at depressing himself, he thought sarcastically.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Ed looked up, and blinked into the sunlight. "Winry. I thought you were asleep."

Winry stretched, and covered a yawn as she dropped down cross-legged into the grass beside him. She stretched out her bare legs, not covered by the shorts she had pulled on this morning, and leaned back, braced up by her hands pushed out behind her. "I was," she replied. "I woke up," she added, as if that much weren't obvious.

Ed caught himself looking at her legs. Hell, he was going to get in so much trouble once of these days! "I hear you got the order for the little girl finished."

Winry nodded, a smile coming to her face. "Yep. Some of the best auto-mail I've ever made I think. It's even a little adjustable so she won't need a new set every time she has a growth spurt. She's only eight."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Ed commented, smiling. "You do great work."

Winry chuckled. "Thanks, Ed." She yawned again, and Ed nearly jumped as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It was worth it, but boy am I beat."

Ed tried not to blush furiously, but the view he was getting was a little more than he really needed, given Winry had one of her father's old shirts on, but it was open, tied at the bottom. Around the house and workshop, Winry preferred clothing that didn't inhibit her movements, and that meant the black strapless undergarments she wore were often in evidence. He couldn't get up and move though, not with her leaning on his arm. "You could get more sleep," he suggested.

"Nah," Winry shook her head and, fortunately for him, sat up again. They were so close though. "I'll get behind on everything else too if I sleep all day."

"Auto-mail junkie," Ed chuckled.

"Alchemy nut," Winry smirked; then her expression softened. "So…what was that really all about yesterday?" she asked her voice surprisingly soft. When Ed looked over, her expression was more earnest.

Crap. "I told you," Ed tried not to fidget. "I just didn't like the way he was all over you, that's all."

"You said looking," Winry corrected, frowning. "You were watching us?"

"I well…. Sort of," Ed admitted, bracing for her fury. "I was coming up to the house."

Winry's face went red, but she only shoved his shoulder hard with one hand. "You're such an idiot sometimes," she sighed, exasperated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed scowled.

"I mean you don't even ask what's going on before you go off the handle," Winry replied, looking over at him. "Lately, it seems like you get into fights all the time. Not just with Pitt either. You spend all your time up at your Mom's house, and it seems like we hardly ever see you when you're not eating or at school."

Ed shrugged. "What of it?"

"Is that all you can say?" Winry's frown deepened. She was definitely upset. "You get more and more withdrawn, Ed. It's like you don't even want to spend time with us anymore some days. I mean, sometimes everything seems normal, than you go off into this dark 'mood' for days at a time. Alphonse is worried. I know Granny's worried too."

"And you?" Ed wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was going. He already felt defensive.

Winry sighed. "You never tell me what's bothering you. You don't even tell me what you're up to half the time. I don't know your dreams, your aspirations; hell, I don't even know what you'd like for dinner half the time. You don't talk to me anymore, Edward."

"A guy can't have a little privacy?" Ed retorted. He didn't tell her his aspirations, because he didn't have any. But he couldn't admit that. It would be the ultimate embarrassment.

"This isn't privacy, Ed!" Yeah, she was really mad this time! Winry's eyes were flashing. "You're walling us all out, and it scares me. You're sullen and stubborn and you could be acing everything we do at school without hardly effort at all, but you're not.  
Something's bothering you and I hate that you won't tell me what it is!" She had jumped to her feet in exasperation, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips.

"If you want open and honest and pouring out feelings, go talk to Al," Ed snapped, getting to his own feet and getting up in her face. "He's the sensitive one, remember? Not me."

"But Al's not the one I'm in love with!" Winry's face went red, and tears welled in her eyes

"Well you certainly….wait! What?" Ed stopped mid-rant, his eyes going wide and his suddenly dry. He had to have misheard that.

Winry had a horrified expression, startled and embarrassed all at once, with one hand on her mouth. "You heard me," she said finally. "You really are oblivious sometimes, Edward Elric. I really figured maybe I was being obvious enough. I thought you were just ignoring me but-"Tears started to fall.

Aww hell. "Winry. darn it, you could have just said something!"  
"Why?" she asked, wiping her eyes dry with her arm. "You've been acting like you don't want anything more to do with me than you have to. We're like siblings, you say it all the time. What was I supposed to think?"

"That I…" Ed wasn't really sure how to respond. He'd been really good, apparently, at hiding his own inner conflict. Not all of them, but at least his confusion over his growing attraction to Winry. He just knew they were standing out there by the river, alone, mere inches apart and Winry had just admitted she loved him.

He wasn't sure who actually initiated it, but the next thing Ed consciously registered was the fact that they were on the ground, and they were kissing. It was a frantic, passionate, intense feeling that awakened something within him. It was overwhelmingly powerful; and it excited him in ways he hadn't felt since he and Al had been kids, training in alchemy, and planning to do great things. With Winry beside him, his arms wrapped tightly around that slim, firm waist. She was so warm, and alive, and he wanted more of this feeling; the added sense of risk, the idea they might be caught; he found he didn't care. It made it all that much more exciting, that hint of adventure. He didn't care.

In the back of his mind, he wondered how far they could take this. He'd turned sixteen recently; neither of them were 'kids'…not really, no matter what his teachers kept telling him. It felt so good, so right. Her hands were under his shirt, on his back, the prickle of her nails digging into his back was intoxicating in ways he didn't fully understand. He moved one hand up toward her top.

"Brother!"

That's it…Al was dead. Ed broke it off suddenly with a gasping breath and looked down at Winry, who he realized he had pinned beneath him in his eagerness. She was a little wild eyed, but she smiled up at him. Oh if only they had a few more minutes…

"Brother!" Alphonse called again. "I….oh uhh…."

poop. Ed looked up and realized Al was already standing on the ridge above them. His younger brother's eyes were big as tea cups. Ed sighed and rolled off of Winry, who stood up and dusted herself off.

"What's up?" Ed asked his brother. It was easier than trying to explain! Though he suspected what they had been doing was painfully self-evident.

Alphonse swallowed, and blinked. "What? Oh yeah! Right. You need to come back to the house! Dad's come home!"


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Part 2

"What do you think you're doing here you bastard!" Ed yelled as the kitchen door slammed open and he stormed into the Rockbell house.

The man and Pinako looked up from the dining table, where they were both drinking cups of tea. Yeah, that was the man Edward remembered. In fact, he didn't look like he'd aged much at all.

"Watch your language, Edward," Pinako said sharply.

"It's all right Pinako," The man sighed. He didn't seem angered by Ed's entrance at all, or even surprised. "I'm sorry about Trisha, Edward. I didn't know."

"Like that kind of a lame excuse will make everything better!" Ed retorted. "You've been gone for how long, old man, without a word? What makes you think you can just come back here?" He was angry. No, he was more than angry, Ed was furious. "You're sorry. Yeah well, you didn't have to watch Mom die!"

"That's enough, Ed."

Ed was startled out of his tirade by Alphonse's voice behind him. He turned and saw that his brother and Winry had caught up. Winry looked like she wasn't sure she wanted to get involved. "What do you mean?" He rounded on his brother, confused and hurt. "He abandoned us, Al! Worse, he abandoned Mom!"

Alphonse set his chin stubbornly. "He's still our Dad, Brother. I want to get to know him. Shouldn't he at least have the opportunity to explain?"

Ed wasn't sure how to reply, while he was floundering for a response Pinako spoke up. "Come in, Winry. I'd like you to meet Ed and Al's father. This is Hohenheim."

Winry stepped inside and nodded politely, if briefly.

Hohenheim smiled. "Winry. You look so much like your mother."

Winry's face flushed uneasily, but she smiled. "Oh. Thank you."  
As Winry moved to sit down at the table, and Alphonse did the same, Ed glared at them both. Traitors! Why was he the only one who seemed mad at what Hohenheim had done! Men weren't supposed to just go off and leave their families!

"Why don't you sit down, Edward?" Pinako suggested calmly.

"What for?" Ed snorted. "I don't have anything else to say. I'm gone." With that he turned and stormed back out of the house, the door slamming shut as loudly as it had slammed open.

Ed was halfway down the to the road and moving fast when he heard footsteps pounding in the dirt behind him. With a sigh, he slowed up. He knew those feet.

"Brother, wait!" Alphonse called out as he caught up. He stopped behind him. "Please, give him a chance to explain. There's got to be a reason he left right? Maybe there's a good reason why he never wrote; why he's finally come back!"

"I don't want to know," Ed replied, clenching his fists, and his jaw. darn it, he was not going to cry about this. He was sixteen years old! "He as good as killed Mom. I can't forgive him for that. Not ever. We don't need him. I hate him!"

"Brother…" Alphonse sounded stung. Then his tone turned to one of resolve. "Well I don't care if you won't give him a chance. I will!" With that, he heard his brother running back the other way. Ed didn't turn around. His shoulders slumped when he heard the door close up at the house. Now what? He didn't want to go back to the old house. Besides, someone would turn up looking for him. He didn't want to go back down to the river either. Or anywhere else. He hated upsetting his little brother, and he'd have to go back in there eventually.

This really was unfair, he whined to himself as he turned and headed slowly back up the hill. He wasn't doing it for Hohenheim. He couldn't care less about the old man. But he loved his brother.

The rest of the evening went with surprisingly few explosions. Ed listened to Hohenheim's explanation – a pretty lousy one Ed thought – about not wanting to hurt his family and needing to do his research. Ed understood the explanations well enough, but it sounded like so much hogwash. It was a pretty vague story too. Still, he bit his tongue and pretended to be civil for the sake of Alphonse, and because his reactions seemed to upset Winry too. She never liked it when Ed and Alphonse were at odds.

Winry. Ed tried not to think about her that evening too. If he did, he was afraid that morning's escapade would show clearly on his face, and Pinako would find out. He had no idea how she'd react, and he really didn't want to know until he'd had a chance to sort out his own feelings on the subject!

Hohenheim wanted to know about the boys. So they – mostly Alphonse. Ed just glared unless asked a direct question – told him about training with Izumi. They fudged around the alchemy accident by not mentioning 'what' they were trying to do that had resulted in Ed losing his leg, but there was no real way to hide the fact that one of Ed's legs was missing.

Ed decided to turn in early. If nothing else, it got him away from everyone. He had a feeling he wasn't particularly popular at the dinner table tonight. So he went upstairs, stripped to his shorts, and lay down. His head was too full to sleep however. Eventually, Alphonse came upstairs too. He didn't say anything as he got ready for bed and climbed in. Ed kept his back to the door and his brother's bed, hoping he'd think Ed was already asleep for the night.

Still Ed wasn't surprised when he heard the bed rustle and Alphonse roll over. "Brother…about Winry."

"We were just kissing, Al. That's all," Ed sighed. He had been expecting his brother to say something about catching him and Winry on the riverbank all day. He'd just been glad he hadn't said anything in front of Hohenheim.

"Oh? That's not what it looked like to me," Alphonse snickered.

"And how would you know?" Ed looked over at his brother. He lay on his back with his arms behind his head; it was easy to see his brother grinning in the moonlight. "All you do is make eyes at Nellie lately." Even in the dark Ed noticed his brother's face flush. "Wait a minute," Ed rolled over too so he could face his brother more directly. "What haven't you told me?"

Alphonse looked even more embarrassed, but he smiled as he shrugged. "We're... kind of dating."

"What?" Ed laughed, forgetting the man downstairs for a few moments. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago," Alphonse shrugged. "She's cute. I asked, she said sure."

"And that's all there is to it," Ed chuckled, though it hurt a little he hadn't already known. "Does anybody know?"

"Not really," his brother admitted. "Not yet anyway. It's kind of our thing, you know?"

"Don't worry," Ed replied. "I won't tell."

"I won't either," Alphonse said, clearly referring to what had happened that morning. Then he grinned. "I have to admit, you took long enough."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked defensively.

Alphonse shrugged. "I mean you've been crazy about Winry for years right? I mean, it's kind of hard to miss. And she's just as crazy about you. It was only a matter of time before you both admitted it."

"Wait...you knew?" Ed was surprised. Winry hadn't noticed, but Al had. His expression darkened a little with suspicion. "Who else knows?"

"Who doesn't," Alphonse laughed. "But you know no one would ever say anything. Though maybe it's a good thing I showed up," his grin was wicked, even though his ears were still a little pink. "Things looked like they might get umm... interesting."

"Not even," Ed snorted, but even to him the denial sounded weak. If Alphonse hadn't interrupted, he wasn't sure he would have had the self-control to stop. Check that. He know he didn't. He hadn't wanted to stop kissing her. He lay down again. "And we're not 'together' or anything okay? It was just well... I don't know what that was," he admitted. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Winry in private since that morning, and it was as confusing as it was exhilarating. He could still feel her skin in his hands, their lips locked; the heat of her body. Winry didn't care that one of his legs was auto-mail. Heck, with his luck, she thought that was his best feature!

"Whatever you say, Brother," Alphonse said, and Ed could her him settling down for sleep. "But whatever it was, it wasn't brotherly love."

No. Alphonse had that right. Ed and Winry had known each other their whole lives. They had wrestled and tickled and hugged...and hit and yanked at each other's hair. But what had happened today...it was anything 'but' brotherly. Ed knew he should feel some sort of guilt after what had happened earlier today, but Winry hadn't been objecting; not at all. In fact, she'd seemed awfully willing. He wondered, if the opportunity arose again, what would happen.

He was still contemplating that fact well into sleep, and into some of the most interesting dreams he'd ever had in his life.

The next couple of days were more than a little awkward. Ed kept trying to find time to catch Winry alone. They really needed to talk! But she was busy almost every waking hour they weren't in class on another auto-mail order. He knew better than to interrupt her when she was working too. That usually ended in a painful blow to his head. It was amazing she had never given him a concussion!

While he did his best to get a hold of Winry, he tried even harder to avoid Hohenheim. That turned out to be surprisingly easy, since Alphonse was more than happy to take all of his free time to talk to the father he didn't even remember. Maybe that was why Alphonse could forgive so easily, Ed mused, because he didn't remember what their family was like before Hohenheim left.

It was late in the afternoon two days after Hohenheim's unexpected, and unwelcome, return that Ed finally caught up with Winry. He heard the machinery in the workshop shut down, and waited until she came outside. As usual, she had the top half of her coveralls tied down around her waist. They were hot and Ed knew she only wore them for protection from sparks and metal. Ed was sitting on the steps of the front porch, and he looked up and smiled. "How's it shaping up?" he asked.

"Good," Winry pulled the rag off her head and used it to wipe her forehead. She sat down next to him. "I think it'll be done tomorrow easy."

"Great," Ed nodded, not really sure what else to say right off.

"I think that's the first time you've smiled in two days," Winry commented, cutting right to the point. She smiled back. "So you're not mad anymore?"

Ed shrugged. "I'm still mad," he countered. "But I don't want to make Al unhappy, you know?"

"I do," Winry smiled. "You're always looking out for him, even when he doesn't need it."

"I know," Ed sighed. It kind of bugged him how little Alphonse seemed to need him anymore, really. "I promised Mom, and he's my little brother. But with you, and Grans, it's not like he needs me much."

"Of course he does," Winry said, taking his right hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. "He still looks up to you a lot, and looks to you for advice and what to do when he's not sure. He doesn't always so say though, because he doesn't want to be a burden."

"Thanks," Ed smiled again and sighed. Winry was good at helping him sort things out sometimes, and put things in perspective. Maybe that was part of this attraction he was coming to realize went far deeper than he'd ever thought. "Without you and Al, I'd be completely lost."

"Well you know I'm full of good advice," Winry teased, but her expression was warm. Ed took a chance, and leaned in.

He was lost in the kiss until he heard a sharp 'ahem' from above them. Startled, he looked up into the vaguely familiar face of a man in Amestris military uniform.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun," the man's voice certainly didn't sound like he was sorry of course.

Winry was sitting up straight and looking more than a little embarrassed.

Ed just shrugged and smirked. "What do you want?" he asked. "Still looking for my old man, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Colonel now," the dark haired man scowled. "Roy Mustang. And no."

"Yeah yeah, I remember you," Ed waved a hand non-chalantly. "What're you here for then anyway? He's actually showed up."

"Really?" That seemed to catch Mustang off guard for a moment, but then he was back to business. "Actually, I'm looking for you, Edward. And your brother, Alphonse."

"Look, I thought we told you before," Ed scowled. "We're not interested in being the military's dogs."

"So you prefer being a back-water handyman?" Mustang snorted. "I guess that's fitting for a puny cripple like you."

That did it. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING PUNY YOU SON OF A-"

"Ed, stop it!" Winry yelled, jumping up and stepping between them. She stared him down and turned to face him. Then she rounded on Mustang. "Look, if you're a guest, come in, but you'd better remember that as such you shouldn't be insulting people if you want their cooperation!"

"Winry I can handle this," Ed objected, but took a step back at the face she gave him as she spun back around.

"Fine!" she huffed, crossing her arms and stepping back, though she was clearly not pleased. "I'll get the tea started." She turned and headed back up the stairs.

"Looks like I pissed off your girlfriend," Mustang commented drolly.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Ed objected hotly. Then winced as he heard the door slam harshly behind him.

"I see," Mustang's smug expression made Ed want to punch him out on principle. "My apologies for the mistake, considering."

"So you're here to talk to me, right?" Ed tried to bring things back around to business and hoped he wasn't actually blushing. His face felt hot.

"And your brother," Mustang nodded. "This will be easier if I can talk to you both at once."

"All right," Ed sighed. "I guess since you came 'all' the way out here we can at least hear what you want to say before we turn you down."

"Don't do me any favors, Edward," Mustang scowled.

Ed smirked. "Don't mention it. C'mon in." He waved over his shoulder and headed inside. "You might have a bit of a wait. I'm not sure where Al and 'dear old Dad' are." He let the sarcasm drip from the last three words.

Winry's frosty behavior told Ed pretty quick he had messed up with his strong assertion that Winry was not his girlfriend! Not that he was opposed to the idea, but it was complicated! He wasn't ready to just jump into it.

Winry served Mustang tea while they waited. Ed had to get his own. Pinako was out somewhere, so it was just them while they waited. It wasn't too long before footsteps sounded on the steps outside, and Alphonse and Hohenheim came in. They both paused, looking perplexed, when they spotted Mustang sitting at the table.

Alphonse's eyes went to Mustang's shoulder as he recognized him. "Good afternoon Colonel…Mustang isn't it?"

Mustang actually smiled at Alphonse. "Indeed. Good to see you again, Alphonse. I was hoping to have a word with you and your brother."

"Is this about joining the military?" Alphonse asked, his tone hesitant. Good. If Ed didn't have to convince Alphonse this was a bad idea, this would be much easier.

Mustang nodded, unfazed. "It is." He looked at Hohenheim then. "It seems I've lucked across you. If you don't mind, Hohenheim. I would very much appreciate a word with you later."

Hohenheim still looked perplexed but he chuckled softly and nodded. "If you like. I'll just wait outside."

"I would very much." From Mustang's tone, Ed guessed it was about something Mustang actually thought was very important, and he wondered what the man wanted with Hohenheim anyway. That didn't make the Colonel a more likely ally in his mind. No, not at all.

"So, Al's here," Ed cut into the conversation. "What's this all about anyway?"

Mustang looked up at Winry. "I'd like to discuss this in private," he commented to the three of them. Winry frowned, then turned and left without a word. Mustang scowled and sighed, then turned back to the boys. "I came to see if you two would reconsider the offer to take the State Alchemy exam."

Yep, same song and dance. Ed shook his head. "Why should we want to be involved now if we didn't then? Do you listen to the news, Colonel? We may not live near Central, but that doesn't mean we don't hear things. There's some rumor going around about an Alchemist killer that was in Central." He left that tidbit hanging. "I'm not sure why that's supposed to make me want to jump and join the ranks of the military dogs as bait."

"There was," Mustang nodded. "He's been taken care of."

"Oh really?" Ed raised an eyebrow. "Good to hear. Your ranks must be getting a little thin."

"Would I be out here asking children if they weren't?" Mustang quipped.

"Hey, how would I know?" Ed smirked. "I'm the one you're begging to have join right. The State sounds desperate to me. So why don't you explain to the 'children' why big strong men like you need their help?"

Mustang's scowl continued to deepen. "Because, frankly, the military faces a deeper threat than one dead serial killer." He sighed, and looked like a man who didn't want to admit what he was about to say. "With the Alchemist ranks depleted, there's little to protect from another growing threat, one that could destroy the state if it's not stopped."

"And what would that be?" Ed asked dryly.

Mustang's eyes were sharp and seemed to bore into Ed's skill as he looked at him. "Division within the military itself."

That… wasn't what Ed had been expecting. Briefly baffled, he was too smart not to realize the implications of what that meant in the long run. "The fall of the state."

"If things aren't stabilized," Mustang nodded. "Neither of you want anarchy and chaos, or the tight hand of the military on every village and town that would result from that I'm sure." He looked between Edward and Alphonse as he spoke.

"Of course not," Alphonse replied, and he sounded as concerned as he looked. "But what can we do?"

"You're alchemists aren't you?" Roy looked at him sharply. "Don't tell me you've given it up."

Ed was tempted to say yes, just to see panic on the man's face, but Alphonse shook his head before Ed could open his mouth.

"We still do alchemy," Alphonse said. "Will they let kids take the Exam?"

"There's not much choice at this point," Mustang admitted, though it looked like he'd swallowed something bitter. "Admittedly, I'll probably have to talk them into it anyway," he looked between them. "They're more likely to accept Edward, given he's the closest to the age of majority. But I'd be loathe to leave either of you behind. I need all the good Alchemists I can get."

He wasn't bluffing. He really meant it when he said the State was that desperate. It occurred to Ed that this might just be the break he had been looking for. After all, hadn't he been lamenting for months over a lack of direction in his life? Nothing he could excel at and being stuck in Resembool doing just what Mustang had accused him of becoming, nothing more than a glorified handyman? "What's in it for us?" he asked.

"Brother!" Alphonse gasped. "That's rude."

Mustang smirked. "It's all right. I can't blame you for asking. It must look like a pretty raw deal on your end. Well a State Alchemist gets access to all of the research locked up in the State Library; the classified stuff. There's also the research grants, and this." He pulled a pocket watch out of his pocket and held it up. "It amplifies an alchemist's transmutation ability. Oh, you also get an immediate commissioned rank of Major."

Ed considered the watch as it spun slowly on its chain. Access to thousands of books on alchemy; endless possibilities there. Money, rank…. "What's the catch?"

"You really are a skeptic," Mustang snorted as he put the watch away. "No catch. Just the usual. You follow orders and do what's necessary, like any other soldier."

"Your orders," Ed said.

Mustang nodded. "My orders. I've been recently transferred to Central from Eastern Command so you'd be directly under my command."

"Not sure how I feel about that, Colonel," Ed smirked, and shrugged. "What would we be doing, once we're under your 'command?'"

"Working for the State," Mustang shrugged. "Keeping the peace, doing investigative work that falls into our jurisdiction as even remotely alchemy related."

"Fighting?" Alphonse asked softly.

"If it comes to that," Mustang said. Well, at least he wasn't candy-coating the offer.

Ed pondered that. "I'll need to discuss it with my brother," he replied simply.

He expected some objection, but Mustang shrugged and stood. "I expected as much. I'm leaving Resembool tomorrow on the noon train. If you aren't at the station, I'll assume you're not interested." With that he stood, and simply headed out the door.

Ed waited until the door closed, and he heard Mustang and Hohenheim start talking on the porch outside. He whistled; a long, slow exhalation and looked at Alphonse. "So, Al. What do you think?"

Alphonse looked conflicted. "I don't know, Brother. I mean, it sounds like they could really use the help, and we'd get to help a lot of people right? I mean, that's what alchemy is for."

"Teacher always said State Alchemists were the military's attack dogs," Ed nodded thoughtfully. "But that means at least they've got teeth right? This guy's an ass, but he doesn't seem like he'd be all that hard to handle."

"You sound like you want to do it, Brother," Alphonse said.

"Maybe I do," Ed shrugged. "Can you think of something better? I mean, what else am I but an Alchemist after all? Besides, just because Teacher doesn't like them doesn't make them all villains right? She's pretty opinionated."

"I guess," Alphonse sighed. "It seems like a good opportunity. I want to help people. Even if Mustang can't talk them into letting me take the test too, I think I'll go if you do."

Ed chuckled. "If they didn't take you, it would be a crime! I mean, you're a great alchemist. They can't hold age against us when they need our skills right? Besides," he added. "It's your chance to see the University at Central first hand right? I hear the military pays for classes when you get out too."

Alphonse nodded, and smiled. "This could be a really good thing, Brother. Mom was always proud of our alchemy right? Maybe now we can do something with it that will really make a difference."

Well then, it appeared to be decided.

"So you're going…just like that."

Ed froze and looked up to find Winry standing in the doorway. "How much did you hear?" he asked, a feeling of guilt and dread creeping over him.

"Most of it," Winry admitted. Her face was red. "So you're leaving?

"I think this is my cue to get out of here," Alphonse squeaked. "I think I'll go see if Dad and the Colonel are still outside."

Ed didn't look away from Winry's face. But he heard Alphonse's chair scrape on the floor and the door open and shut quickly only seconds later. "Winry I…"

Her fist connected with his face and he felt the chair go over, slamming hard into the ground. "Geez, woman!" he howled as he looked up at her. "What was that for?"

"Everything," Winry growled, her fist still brandished. "Years of waiting, of being patient, putting off going to Rush Valley because I hoped, maybe, you weren't as dense as I thought you were being. I finally tell you how I feel and suddenly you're leaving town?"

Well, when she put it like that. "This has nothing to do with that," Ed objected, standing up and rubbing his jaw. No, that came out wrong. "Wait! What I mean is…" he had to duck another blow. "Winry!"

"You're a jerk, Edward!" she replied, her eyes welling with tears. "This is it? Someone offers you money, rank, the chance to stop feeling like a loser, which you never 'were'…and you're off like a dog on a leash already?"

"I'm nobody's dog," Ed snapped. "This is my decision, Winry. It's something I need to do."

"Why?" Winry threw up her hands. "I know you're a good guy. Alphonse knows it. Aunt Pinako knows it. No one in Resembool thinks you're useless. So why do you?"

Her inner feelings being so blatantly stated hurt, and more than Ed had expected. "Because it doesn't matter what you think," Ed replied, trying to explain the inner conflict he'd been hiding for so long. "Not if I don't agree with your assessment. I committed an unforgivable sin, and I screwed it up completely in the process. I feel like dead weight, dragging everyone down. You just said you put off going to Rush Valley because of me. See what I mean!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Winry started to object.

"But you did," Ed replied pointedly. "I'm floored that you like me, Winry," his voice softened, emotion choking off the harder edge of his anger. "It's almost unreal, but, I can't be anything like this. I have to do something with my life or I'm no good to you as anything other than dead weight. Even if you don't feel that way, I would."

"You really think you can fix the world, Edward?" Winry sniffed, still upset.

"No," Ed sighed. "I just hope I can fix myself. You deserve better, Winry."

"I think I should be the one to decide that," Winry smirked through tears.

Ed managed a weak smile. "No. You do. And I'm going to do my best to make myself good enough."

Winry looked like she was going to break down in sobs, but she sniffed and pulled herself together; yeah, strong girl. He liked that about her. "I can't persuade you to stay, can I."

"No," Ed replied. Not now that he had made up his mind. If he didn't at least go along long enough to try and pass the State Alchemy Exam and prove he wasn't washed up at sixteen – had been at ten – he would never forgive himself for missing the opportunity when it came knocking a second time. "It's not forever," he managed, lame as the words sounded even in his own ears. "It's a chance for Al and I to do what we originally planned; alchemy for the good of the people."

"Is the good of the people really why you're going, Edward?" Winry looked skeptical, but like she wanted to believe him.

"It's part of it." Ed was almost surprised to find that he actually felt that way. He hadn't really thought about it in a long time. "You're the one who said I was withdrawing from the world right? Well, here's my chance to leap back in."

"I don't like it, Ed," Winry said finally. "If the military needs kids like you and Al, there has to be something seriously wrong going on."

"Doesn't that mean that Al and I are needed even more?" Ed countered. The more they argued, the harder his resolve became. The more he was sure he was doing the right thing.

"What if you auto-mail breaks?"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Ed chuckled. "I'm sure they have auto-mail mechanics in Central, Winry."

Her eyes flashed, and she looked hurt. "Fine. If that's how you really feel. Then go!" With that, she felt the room.

Ed watched her go, perplexed as to why something like that would set her off. She was so peculiar sometimes. He felt guilty now. With a sigh, he went upstairs to start packing.

"I don't like it boys," Pinako said the next morning as they stood in by the front door, each with just one suitcase, dressed for travel. She was scowling as she smoked on her pipe. "There's something seriously wrong if the military is considering taking children."

"We know that, Aunt Pinako," Ed sighed. "That's part of the point." He was getting tired of explaining. "We'll be careful. Besides, we could get there and they still might not less us even take the exam. Then we'll come right back home, all right?"

Pinako let out a puff of smoke and sighed. "Well I can see you're set on this. Take care of each other and write, you hear?"

"Yes ma'am," Alphonse smiled, then gave her a big hug. "We'll miss you. Do you know where Dad is? I'd like to say goodbye to him too."

"He left last night late," Pinako sighed. "After he finished talking to that Mustang fellow. They talked for a long time though."

"I wish I knew what about," Ed muttered. He didn't like that. Just because they were going with Mustang didn't mean he entirely trusted the man. And he certainly didn't trust Hohenheim!

"And where's Winry?" Alphonse asked, looking around again.

Pinako sighed. "I'm not sure. She went off this morning early."

"I was hoping she'd be here when we left," Alphonse sighed.

Ed nodded, though he didn't say anything. He suspected her vanishing act was likely his fault. "Maybe she'll be at the train station," he suggested, though he didn't really believe.

"Maybe," Alphonse brightened. "Goodbye, Aunt Pinako. We love you!"

Pinako hugged them both again, and then they headed out. The walk to the station was made briskly, and in relative silence, both brothers wrapped up in their own thoughts. They arrived at the station thirty minutes before the noon train.

Colonel Mustang was waiting for them on the platform. "I figured you'd be here," he commented without preamble.

"You're welcome," Ed snorted, dropping his suitcase on the platform and sitting down on a bench. "Some thanks for two guys doing you and the State a favor."

"Last I checked, you were getting something out of this two," Roy smirked. "Call it equivalent exchange."

There was little chatting on the platform. When the train boarded, they were in one of the semi-private cabins, not out in the regular passenger car. Ed figured that meant they could talk without being overheard, which was good. "So," Ed said once they were seated, and the train had pulled away from Resembool. "What's really going on? There's got to be more than you told us to all this."

"First things first, Edward," Roy replied shortly. "There are a few things I'd like to get straight before we get to Central. First; keep close to me and don't do anything stupid. One wrong step and there's a good chance they'll decide to send you home, talented alchemists or not."

Alphonse nodded. Ed rolled his eyes but nodded as well. "What else 'chief?'"

"You might want to at least pretend to respect your superiors. You'll get further," Roy replied. "Also, that," He pointed at Ed's covered leg. "Don't talk about what happened. Anyone asked, you lost it in a farming accident or something."

"A farming….that's lame," Ed snorted.

"So are you," Roy pointed out. "If anything happens to it. Remember, I know how you lost that leg, Edward. They find out you've already tried human transmutation, you'll be seeing Central from inside a prison cell."

Ed swallowed. "I'm not stupid," he replied. He wouldn't forget that either. Mustang had shown up the night he'd failed the transmutation.

"Good to know." Mustang didn't sound entirely convinced. Yeah, this was going to get old really fast.

"So how long will it take us to get to Central?" Alphonse asked, apparently not bothered at all by Mustang's demeanor. Well then, Alphonse could forgive almost anything!

"A few days," Mustang said as he picked up a newspaper he'd grabbed at the station and flipped it open. "We need to make one more stop. There's another Alchemist I want to talk to."

Ed looked out the window while they talked. He had never been out of Resembool, and the passing countryside was growing increasingly unfamiliar quickly.

"Oh," Alphonse looked interested. "Where are we going?"

"Dublith," Mustang said.

"Du…Dublith?" Ed looked up sharply, suddenly much more interested in the conversation. An alchemist in Dublith? Did he mean….aww hell!

"Dublith?" Alphonse seemed to pick up on Edward's unease at once. "Who are we going to see?" he asked cautiously.

"Izumi Curtis," Mustang commented as coolly as if he were casually condemning them to death. "I want to see if she can be convinced to join us. I also have a few questions." He peeked over his paper. "You both know her correct? I believe you were her students at one point."

How did he know that. Great, just great. "Well, yeah," Ed said, trying not to fidget and give away the sudden jolt of panic that was trying to take him over. "But I don't think you'll have any luck. Izumi's got this…thing, about State Alchemists."

"Thing?" Mustang's eyebrows rose just slightly.

"She's not particularly umm…fond, of State Alchemists," Alphonse replied.

"To put it mildly," Ed barked. "Prepare to dodge flying kitchenware."

"Oh surely you're exaggerating," Mustang scoffed.

Ed exchanged a 'should we bother warning him further' look with Alphonse, who just shrugged helplessly. Oh well. Mustang would learn for himself just what terrors came with angering Izumi.

Until then, Ed had just a few days to figure out how he was going to keep from getting killed! Right now, he could see no way out of the pain that was coming when Izumi found out what he had done.

Maybe now was a good time to reconsider taking up praying?

Ed's dread had not ebbed by the time they arrived in Dublith a few days later. He followed Mustang and Alphonse as they walked from the train station directly to Curtis' Meats. In truth, he was terrified. Izumi had warned them about the dangers of human transmutation, had railed against the inhumanity and immorality of State Alchemists.

This was going to hurt.

Alphonse went in first, with Ed and Mustang following. Seg Curtis was standing behind the counter. He looked up, and his eyes lit with recognition. Though they darkened at the site of Roy.

"Hi, Seg!" Alphonse smiled. "Is Izumi home?"

Seg looked at Mustang. "He with you?"

"Oh, yeah," Alphonse chuckled disarmingly. "He's all right. Promise."

Seg didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "She's out back."

"Thanks," Ed managed, trying not to squeak as they headed back outside and around the back of the building to the yard.

The reunion went pretty much like Ed expected. Izumi was all smiles and glad to see Alphonse and Edward until she saw Mustang, whom she regarded with immediate dislike and suspicion. "What's he doing here?"

"Ummm well, he's with us," Alphonse spoke up. "Or we're with him, sorta."

"Are you boys crazy?" Izumi scowled. "What's this about?"

Ed swallowed and stepped up. Time to be a man, before he died. "We're going to Central, Teacher."

Izumi's expression grew so dark and hard Ed wasn't sure he wouldn't be crushed under her stare. "Despite everything I taught you, you're going to be the dogs of the military." The last words were spat in disgust. "What made you decide to do something so stupid?"

Ed opened his mouth, then closed it again. If he gave her the truth, she would be even angrier.

"Is this about your leg, Edward?"

"What?" he looked up, eyes going wide. How did she know?

His emotions must have shown plainly on his face. Izumi snorted in further disgust. "You thought I wouldn't notice the change in your movements? The sound of your gait?"

Ed felt embarrassed. "I…"

"How did it happen, Edward?" It was a command, not a question really.

"We tried to.." Alphonse began.

"No," Ed cut Alphonse off with a sharp glare. He straightened up stiffly. "I tried to transmute our mother…to bring her back."

The next thing Ed knew, he was being violently slammed into the ground. The pummeling didn't stop for several minutes and he didn't fight it, even though he probably could have. He deserved every bit of the thrashing he got. When it was over, he stood, quivering, with Alphonse starting on in sympathy, and Mustang looking… nonplussed. He definitely seemed to be reassessing his approach.

Ed watched Izumi's face shift from furious anger and reproach to a strange mask of grief. She stepped forward again and he closed his eyes, bracing for another hit. Instead, he was surprised as she gathered him into her arms and held him tightly. "You fool," she whispered. Ed felt his body relax in her arms. Somehow, he felt she understood. Finally, Izumi stood and composed herself. "It's dinner time," she said simply. "Come on in."

"All of us?" Alphonse asked, looking at Mustang.

Izumi looked between the boys and Mustang. "All of you. At least for now."

Dinner was an awkward affair. Ed was just grateful to have survived telling Izumi that horrible truth. His mood was temporarily improved by the usual exquisite taste of Izumi's cooking. He had well stuffed himself before anyone at the table actually spoke.

"Mrs. Curtis," Mustang finally seemed to have found his voice or, at least, the angle he thought he would take. "I know you don't like State Alchemists."

"I hate them," Izumi commented with surprising calm, as if she were declaring that the sun was bright, or water was wet.

"An understatement on my part, my apologies," Roy replied, the most respectful Ed had seen him yet. "And in all honesty, I can't blame you for your opinion." There was an odd sort of smile on his face as he spoke, as if he might agree with Izumi as well, were the option given. "But I have come here to ask you some questions that I am hoping you might be able to answer. The safety of the State, and I mean the people of the State, not just the government, may well ride on the answers."

"I'm a simple housewife," Izumi replied pointedly. "It is likely I know little of what you will request. But you may ask anyway."

Simple housewife indeed. Ed had some vague idea of the depths of Izumi's knowledge, and it was far more than she had actually taught them as her apprentices.

Mustang nodded. "What do you know about homunculi?"

Izumi's expression went hard again in a flash. "Why do you ask?"

"Wait, what?" Ed cut in, caught completely off guard. "Homunculi? You mean like artificial humans? They do exist?"

He was sure it was a joke, it had to be, but Mustang just nodded with dead seriousness. "There's something going on within the State," he admitted softly. "And somehow, whoever is controlling them has used homunculi to subvert State resources, and to gain power within it."

"So why should I tell you anything?" Izumi's tone was quietly dangerous.

"Because something has to be done to stop them," Roy replied, meeting her gaze evenly, something Ed and Alphonse had never been able to do when Izumi was angry. Mustang gained a very small notch up the ladder of respect in Ed's mind. Very small; Infinitesimal really. "And I can use all the help I can get. I'm not expecting you to come personally; Edward and Alphonse have already informed me that the likelihood of that is about as much as convincing you I'm Ishballan. Though I certainly wouldn't say no if you proved them wrong."

"No, they know me pretty well," Izumi commented, though she sounded a little less hostile. "I can tell you what I know. Whether it's helpful or not I cannot promise." She sighed. "Do you know anything about homunculi?"

"Only that they are created by alchemists, and that they cannot perform alchemy on their own," Roy sighed. "They aren't human, and they have powers regular humans do not." It really wasn't much to go on, Ed thought. Though it was more than he had known. Homunculi within the State. Okay, so this was bad. But he was missing some major part of the picture.

"Do you know how a homunculus is born?"

All three of the men shook their heads. Seg took that moment to excuse himself quietly with the dinner dishes.

Izumi sighed. "A homunculus is created when an alchemist attempts, and inevitably fails, a human transmutation.

Ed couldn't help it; he gasped. A human transmutation? Then…that thing he had seen, when he tried to bring Mom back….

His gasp drew the attention of everyone else at the table. Izumi simply nodded. "You've seen one, Edward. You and Alphonse both I think," she looked to Alphonse for confirmation.

Ed looked at his brother, who had gone pale. So, that thing, at least hadn't been Mom. Ed wasn't sure if that should make him feel better or worse.

"That fits," Mustang commented. Then he looked up and clarified. "Hohenheim told me that the only way to weaken a homunculus to kill it was to do so by bringing it in contact with the remains of the person it was originally meant to be."

"Wait. You mean that that thing is still alive?" Ed jumped to his feet, startling himself as well as the others.

Izumi nodded, her expression sadly fatalistic. "Probably in a body that looks very much like your mother, Edward. She isn't though; you must remember that."

Ed wasn't sure what else to say. Something he had created was helping to destroy the State? He looked at Alphonse. "What did you say happened to that thing?"

Alphonse looked upset. "I'm sorry, Brother. It was gone when I got back with Aunt Pinako and Winry. We were so busy trying to… to keep you alive that, I never looked for it after that. No one else reported seeing it, so I guess I just figured it had crawled off and died or something. I didn't tell anyone about it."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Alphonse," Izumi commented softly. "Better to save your brother. It will be dealt with in due course."

"How do you know so much about homunculi, Teacher?" Alphonse asked.

Izumi looked away briefly, and sighed. "Because when I was young and foolish, I tried the very same thing."

That was enough to send Ed dropping back into his chair in shock. He sat in stunned silence as Izumi told them, briefly, of losing a child when she and Seg were younger, and her attempt to revive it, and giving the child to the Gate.

"What is this Gate?" Mustang asked, his brow furrowed.

Once more, Ed found himself the subject of Izumi's knowing gaze. "You saw it too, Edward. There's no way you didn't."

Ed wanted to object, but he knew what she was referring to. He had been nearly sucked into it for good. Alphonse had barely saved him from that fate. They had never talked of it directly, beyond the acknowledgement that they had experienced…something. "Yes," he replied.

"What did you see in the Gate?"

"It…it felt like the Truth," Ed said looking up at her. "My brain was full of everything all at once. Suddenly I knew things I had never known before, about alchemy, about everything… and it all made sense. Then it was gone."

"The Truth?" Izumi shook her head. "What I saw looked like Hell." She looked over at Alphonse. "Did you see it?"

Alphonse nodded. "Sort of. I mean, I pulled Ed back didn't I?"  
"Of course you did," Izumi smiled kindly. "You saved your brother's life, Alphonse. You should be proud of that."

Alphonse smiled weakly. "Thank you, Teacher."

"But what is the Gate?" Mustang reiterated his question.

"A door," Izumi said. "Where to, and what is on the other side, I don't really know. However," she looked at the boys. "If you've seen it, than you should be able to transmute without a circle."

"We…can?" Ed looked down at his hands. "But we've never transmuted without a circle."

"Have you tried?" Izumi asked.

"Well, no," Alphonse replied, sounding a little sheepish. "It never occurred to us to try."

"Transmuting…without a circle?" Mustang blinked. "Is that possible?"

"It is," Izumi replied. "For those who have seen the Gate, who have opened it with attempts at Human Transmutation."

"If …Hohenheim," Ed caught himself almost saying 'my father, "knows about homunculus, do you think maybe he tried human transmutation too?"

"It's certainly possible. Likely really," Mustang replied thoughtfully. "With all his research on the Philosopher's Stone, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Wait." He seemed to be saying and thinking that a lot tonight, but it was a lot to take in all at once. "The Philosopher's Stone isn't just a myth?" He had read all of his father's books and notes in detail, he knew everything Hohenheim had written down about the Stone and anything else he could read on it; the rumors and history, what little was known about how to possibly make one.

Mustang shook his head. "No. In fact, that's the problem. That's what the homunculi are after. Though we don't know what they or, more likely, their Master, wants with it."

The room fell quiet as each person contemplated those words. Ed didn't have to think hard to imagine all the things someone could want with the Stone; transmutation without the law of equivalent exchange. The options were limitless. And, more importantly, it wasn't a legend. That was one thing he had wished he'd had when they had tried to bring back Mom. If they'd had the Philosopher's Stone, it might have worked; if only.

"What a mess," Izumi commented finally. "This is what comes of arrogance and foolish pride."

Mustang looked angry, but didn't contradict her. "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Curtis. Belief it or not, what you have been able to tell me puts a lot of information together."

"Then you'd better use it to fix what's wrong with the military, before it's too late," Izumi replied. "Because if you don't, if someone gets their hands on a real Stone, there won't be anything left of it to clean up and put back together; the military, or the State." She picked up her cup and sipped slowly.

Well, that was a grim prediction. A cold prickle crawled up Ed's spine. What were he and Alphonse getting themselves into?

"So," Alphonse broke the tension after a minute. "Brother and I should be able to do transmutation without a circle now, like you do?"

Izumi looked up, and smiled at Alphonse, nodding. "That's right. Why don't you boys go outside and give it a try."

Ed knew a dismissal when he heard it. This conversation was over. He was kind of glad though. It was the kind of conversation that made him 'feel' like a kid, messing around in grown up matters, and he really didn't like those.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Part 3

The train ride to Central had a very different feel to it than the one to Dublith. Alphonse's eager enthusiasm had been dampened by the reality of the dangers of the situation they were heading into. Ed found himself doing a lot of thinking, and even less inclined to try general conversation with Colonel Mustang.

The first day, when Mustang first left the car to get something to eat, Alphonse looked over at Ed almost immediately. "Edward. Do you still think we should be doing this? I mean, if it's that dangerous… we're not trained fighters."

"We're better than some," Ed countered with a sigh. "After all, we've been training our bodies as long as we've been doing alchemy. And now," he held up his hands and looked at them, remembered the night before, and the strangely wonderful feeling it had given him to simply put his hands together and transmute without taking the time to draw a circle. Alphonse had been able to do it too, a prize, it seemed, for daring to risk his own life to save his brother. Or at least, that was the best explanation they had. "Without having to draw a circle, can you imagine how fast we could pull off alchemy in a fight?" He was a little less impressed now with Mustang's special gloves that Alphonse has asked about on the way to Dublith.

"You sound like you want to," Alphonse replied softly.

Ed looked up at his brother. "It's not a question of want, Al," he replied. In truth, the idea actually held a lot of appeal, but his brother was so peaceful by nature. He was still a little surprised that Alphonse had come at all. "Look. If these homunculi are at fault for war and are going to cause problems and, and I created one of them, then that makes this whole mess at least partly my fault," he admitted. He didn't want to tell his brother his other reasons for joining the military. Alphonse still looked up to him for some reason, and he'd be hurt, Ed suspected, if he heard about Ed's baser ambitions.

"I understand," Alphonse nodded. "We'll fix things, Brother," he smiled encouragingly.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, and it looks like this is the best way to do it." He just hoped they weren't stepping into something messier than they really could handle. Either way, he would make sure nothing happened to Alphonse. His brother was the only real family he had left.

They arrived in Central on a gray, rainy morning. Ed looked around as they walked down the platform and out onto the street. "Nice play you've got here," he commented dryly to Mustang.

"It's not much, but we call it home," Mustang replied with the same stinging wit. "Let's go, boys. I need to have a word with superiors and see if we can get you into the exam in the first place."

Ed nodded. He'd known that was going to be a potential stumbling block. "When is the exam anyway?" He knew some people studied for months for this thing, some for years.

"Next week," Mustang replied.

"Next week!" Ed looked up at him.

"Afraid you won't pass, Edward?" Mustang smirked.

"No," Ed scoffed, covering his surprise. "You're a sadistic son of a pregnant dog you know that?"

Mustang chuckled. "I try."

Yeah, Ed definitely didn't like this guy. Good thing you didn't have to like superiors, or he'd already be in trouble.

They actually walked to Military Headquarters. Not that Ed or Alphonse minded, after all, they walked everywhere in Resembool. It was a good chance to get a feel for the place too. Even on a rainy day the city was bustling with people going about their business. Ed tried not to stare like some tourist kid as he took it all in. He really liked the energy, the potential in a city like this one he decided.

When they arrived at Central they went to Mustang's office which, Ed discovered quickly, really was a recent acquisition. There were boxes everywhere, and staff working to get things set up, or sitting at desks doing other work.

One of the men, a heavy-set guy with red hair looked up and grinned. "Well look who's back. Welcome 'home', Colonel."

"Thanks, Breda," Mustang nodded as he went to his desk and dropped his bag behind it for the moment.

"These require your attention, Colonel," a good looking blonde dropped a stack of papers on Mustang's desk, her expression was all business, and her tone firm, one note short of giving orders herself even though she was, Ed thought, a Lieutenant. He was trying to remember what the insignia all meant. They had covered them briefly in school at one point. Now he wished he had paid a little more attention.

"I'll get on them, Hawkeye," Mustang sighed, eyeing the papers distastefully.

"See that you do, Sir," she replied. "Also, that meeting you wanted scheduled with General Hakuro is scheduled in half an hour."

"Fast," Mustang smirked. "Good work."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Here's your messages, Colonel," a tall blonde guy with a cigarette in his mouth held out a list. He gave him a brief glare. "Clarice and Donna called twice yesterday."

"Excellent," Mustang chuckled. He paused, then looked back at the boys as if he had just remembered they were there. "Edward, Alphonse, this is Lieutenants Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda. Follow their orders and stay out of trouble while I'm taking care of things."

"Excuse me, Sir," Breda looked at Ed and Alphonse. "Who are these kids?"

"Oh," Mustang chuckled. "This is Edward and Alphonse Elric. They're interested in becoming State Alchemists."

"Kids, as state alchemists?" Havoc looked at them contemplatively. "Interesting. Will the Fuhrer even let kids take the exam?"

Mustang headed for the door, pausing before he closed it behind him. "That's what we're about to find out." Then he was gone, leaving the boys standing in his office with a bunch of totally new faces.

Havoc stretched and shrugged. "Get comfortable," he commented wryly. "You're probably in for a long wait."

"Yeah," Breda chuckled. "Though if anyone can talk the General into letting you boys take that test, it's Mustang."

"Oh? Are they friends?" Alphonse asked curiously.

That was met with roaring laughter that made Ed scowl. These guys weren't taking them seriously.

"No, definitely not," Havoc finally chuckled an answer. "But the military's pretty desperate for State Alchemists lately; lost quite a few before that Scar guy did himself in."

"Scar; the serial killer?" Ed guessed.

"That's him," Breda nodded. "Crazy Ishballan who was going around on some vengeance kick, killing State Alchemists. Then he tried something out in this little Eastern city called Liore, and turned the whole place to sand in minutes."

"How did he do that?" Ed asked, eyes going wide.

Havoc shrugged. "Not sure really. Mustang's the Alchemist, not us. He said Scar was trying to make something."

"The Philosopher's Stone," Ed muttered to himself.

That got him looks from all three of the soldiers in the office, especially Hawkeye. "So, you've heard of it," she commented softly.

"Well, yeah," Ed shrugged.

"I wouldn't recommend talking about it outside of this office," Havoc suggested. "It's a pretty dangerous subject right now."

"So I figured," Ed sighed. "That blow-hard Mustang gave us a little information on the way in, but I get the feeling we don't have the whole story."

That comment got him further scowls.

"The Colonel's the best Alchemist the Military's got," Breda commented. "He's had it rougher than most of us, and he deserves respect, especially from a little runt like you."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET?!"

"Brother!" Alphonse sighed and grabbed his shirt. "Please forgive him, Sirs. He's a little…."

"Spastic," Havoc smirked, then sighed. "Well I suppose if Mustang thinks you're worth the trouble you can't be a complete waste of talent. So you boys are alchemists."

Ed pulled himself free of Alphonse's grasp. "Darn right," he smirked. "Good ones too."

"We'll see if you're good enough if you pass the State Exam," Hawkeye commented with a shrug. She didn't seem to be bothered as much by them; but she was all business; definitely one to watch. "But you won't cause trouble for the, Colonel. Got that, boys?" Her eyes flashed with a hint of danger that reminded Ed briefly of Winry.

"Yes ma'am," they chorused. Yeah, he wasn't going to mess with her!

To his surprise, she nodded and then smiled. "Good. Now, we will need to figure out what to do with you for the time being. You can't say in NCO Headquarters, or the barracks." She paused to think.

Yeah. Ed hadn't even considered where they would be staying. Some world traveler he was turning out to be!

"Helloooo…" came a cheerful male voice, and Ed turned to see a tall, lean man with dark hair and glasses coming into the room. "I heard Roy was back and…ah, hello," he looked down at the boys and smiled. "Let me guess, you're Edward and Alphonse right?"

"Umm… yeah," Ed nodded, too surprised that he knew who they were to come up with a more creative response.

"I thought so," he chuckled. "Roy said he was hoping you guys would be willing to join up."

"So you were expecting them, Lieutenant Colonel?" Breda looked up, a little surprised.

The Lieutenant Colonel nodded. "Yes indeed. These fellows are reputed to be quite exceptional talents. Hi," he offered a hand to Edward. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes."

It was the first truly friendly response they had gotten. Ed managed a smile and took the hand. Hughes' handshake was as firm and friendly as his words. Okay, this guy didn't seem so bad! "Hi. I'm Edward Elric."

Hughes shook hands with Alphonse as well. "And here I almost had it reversed," he smiled. "Nice to meet you both. Oh, and before I forget," he reached into his pocket, and suddenly Ed found himself face to 'face' with a picture of a little girl. "This is my divinely adorable daughter, Elicia! She's four now, and isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen?"

"Uh…yeah, sure," Ed said, wriggling out from Hughes's arm around his shoulder. "She's cute." Well, the kid in the picture was cute, but wow! Hughes might be short a few screws.

"Totally," Alphonse chuckled, looking relieved he hadn't been grabbed.

"Since you know more about the boys than we do," Hawkeye commented. "Perhaps you have some idea if Colonel Mustang had sleeping arrangements made for while they're here, until the exam anyway?"

"Well sure," Hughes chuckled. "Well, not really. He probably hasn't even considered it. But I can solve that problem anyway. You boys can stay with me and my wife Gracia."

"Oh, Thanks, Lieutenant Colonel but…"

"It's no trouble at all," Hughes said, slapping Ed on the back. "We have plenty of room! And Elicia will have someone to play with!"

Alphonse chuckled. "Sure. That sounds great, Sir."

"Yeah," Ed put his hand up and worked a crick out of his neck. "Fantastic."

"Great. I'll tell Roy," Hughes replied. "Now I've got a ton of work I need to get back to. I'll come back here and find you boys after work. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Hawkeye commented before either boy could respond. "I'm sure the Colonel will be done with them by then."

"Excellent. Back later!" And Hughes was gone.

"He seems nice," Alphonse smiled.

"A bit off his rocker maybe," Ed sighed. "But nice. Is he always that enthusiastic?"

"Most of the time," Havoc shrugged. "Especially about his daughter."

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes takes family very seriously," Hawkeye commented. "Don't let his exuberant personality fool you."

Ed shrugged. "If you say so. So uh…what are we supposed to do for now anyway?"

Hawkeye shrugged and went back to work. "Wait patiently."

That was certainly easier said than done. Ed and Alphonse sat and waited for an hour while the others worked around them. Alphonse seemed interested in what was going on around them, and asked the occasional polite question, while Ed got very quickly bored. Sitting still was the one thing he really wasn't good at.

Finally though, the door opened and Mustang returned. He ignored them as he walked back to his desk, sat down, looked at the pile of paperwork, sighed, and then got down to work.

What, had they been forgotten? Ed scowled. "So?" he asked.

Mustang looked up. "What? Oh, yes," he shrugged. "You're both in."

"An hour waiting and that's it?" This guy was a real pain!

"You were expecting something more? A fanfare parade and me jumping for joy?" Mustang asked; then shrugged. "Hakuro is willing to sponsor Edward into the program, because he's closer to the age of majority. I convinced him to let Alphonse give it a try, though he is highly skeptical that both of you have any chance of actually passing the exam."

"So why let us try then?" Alphonse asked.

Mustang smirked. "Because with that official stance, if you fail spectacularly, it reflects on my record, not his."

"Sure a friendly lot around here," Ed rolled his eyes.

Mustang just shrugged and went back to his work. "This is the real world, boys. Get used to it."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ed asked. Really, he had no idea what to do with the rest of the day.

Mustang didn't look up. "I'm sure you can find something to do to entertain yourselves for a few hours. I would recommend studying for next week's exam. There's a written test, an interview, and a practical."

Ed couldn't argue with that. He and Alphonse found a quiet area of the grounds and practiced transmutations – without circles. That was still something that was novel enough to be entertaining too – and quizzed each other on facts; the chemical composition of various items, the rules of alchemy, obscure related historical facts, and anything else they could think of from Hohenheim's books that might be useful.

After a few hours, and a break where they ate in the Mess and got a lot of curious looks, they went back to Mustang's office, where Hughes found them shortly there-after and whisked them off enthusiastically to his place.

Much to Ed's relief, Gracia Hughes was completely…sane. She was a lovely woman, motherly and kind, and all in all a rather calming presence.

Little Elicia really was just that adorable. She grinned up at them when they came in the house. "Hi! You must be Daddy's friends. I'm Elicia. Would you like some tea?"

Alphonse chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Elicia. I'm Alphonse. Tea sounds lovely."

While Elicia served up pretend tea to Alphonse in the corner, Gracia had the real thing, along with a dinner that smelled like heaven after living on whatever they could get traveling for several days. Ed dug in enthusiastically as soon as they were all seated. "This is wonderful, Mrs. Hughes," he managed between bites.

Gracia chuckled. "Thank you, Edward. Goodness. Didn't Roy feed you boys on your trip?"

"Oh he did, ma'am," Alphonse grinned. "That's just Ed."

"Gee, thanks brother," Ed grumbled to him, though he tried to slow down a little.

"Oh I don't mind," Gracia smiled. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Great," Ed grinned. "Can I have more, please?"

After dinner, Gracia went upstairs to put Elicia to bed. Ed and Alphonse sat down in the living room. Alphonse took a chair, and Ed sprawled out on the couch. "Wow, Gracia's a fantastic cook."

"She is," Alphonse smiled. "She reminds me a little of Mom."

Ed smiled. "Yeah, she does."

"Then you're a pair of lucky fellows," Hughes chuckled as he came over and joined them, sitting down at the end of the couch by Ed's feet. He seemed much mellower in his own home. Probably the effect Gracia had on him; Ed really couldn't complain. Hughes was turning out to be a pretty nice guy. The man's face became a little more serious. "Listen, I don't know how much Mustang has told you about what's been going on, but if you pass that exam next week, things are going to get interesting. I'm not trying to scare you off, but I think it would be better if you were prepared."

Ed sat up, sharing a look with his brother. They had been warned to be discrete, but how far did that extend? He really wanted to trust Hughes more than anyone else he'd met in the military.

Hughes seemed to catch the look, he smiled again. "Relax. Roy and I have been friends for years, not just colleagues. You couldn't have a better advocate in the military than him actually."

"That egotistical maniac?" Ed was skeptical.

"Roy may come across as callous, shallow, and somewhat delusional," Hughes chuckled. "But he's really a good guy." He straightened his glasses and sighed. "The military's not exactly the safest place for alchemists right now."

"We know," Ed replied. "Mustang told us about the homunculi, and the Stone too." He figured, if Hughes knew what those references even meant, he was legit. If not, he could play it off as a fake test.

Hughes blinked and nodded. "Good. Then you already have some idea of what you're in for. Though I can tell you, he's relieved that you came."

"Why are we so important anyway?" Ed asked. He had been wondering about that.

"Mainly, because you're alchemists, and the State really is that short on them," Hughes said. "But also…because of what you're supposedly capable of. Look, I'll level with you on this. When Roy came back from Resembool four years ago, he told me about you boys."

"H-how much did he tell you?" Ed swallowed.

"That you're the sons of Hohenheim of Light, a famous alchemist. And that, you were willing to take the kinds of risks State Alchemists may have to…even if they shouldn't." While he kept his gaze even with Ed's, Ed felt like Hughes was looking down at his leg. "No one else knows, Edward," he added a few moments later. There was nothing silly about his tone now. "But part of why you're staying here is because you won't get asked too many questions this way, and you'll have somewhere quiet to study for the next few days. Though you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," he added with a small smile.

"If you know what I did…why are you willing to trust us in your own home?" Ed asked. Something didn't add up.

"I told you, Edward," Hughes shrugged slightly. "If Roy says you're okay, that's enough for me. Everyone makes mistakes, some even worse than yours, and you didn't do it out of malice right? Intentions do actually matter. If I thought you were really dangerous, or Roy did, you'd have been arrested, not invited to join the military."

"And what happens when someone finds out who doesn't like it?"

"No one will," Hughes replied. "Not unless they hear it from you. Roy or I would likely be dead first."

"You're serious."

"Dead serious," Hughes nodded. "We need smart minds figuring out what's going. If you two could figure out how to attempt what you did at eleven, well, then you're just what we need right now in the State. But on top of that, I don't abandon kids."

"We're not exactly kids," Ed pointed out. "Though everyone seems to want to call us that lately."

Hughes's expression became one of amusement. "You're worse than kids, Edward; you're teenage boys; infinitely more prone to get into all sorts of trouble just by nature."

Alphonse chuckled. "You can trust us to behave, Sir."

Hughes laughed outright at that. "I appreciate that, Alphonse, and in most things, I suspect I probably can, or Roy would never have brought you with him no matter how talented you were. Besides, from the alchemists I've met, you're a lot that tends to be too focused on your alchemy and what you can do with it to be distracted by too many other things." With that he stretched and stood. "Which reminds me, it's getting late. You boys should get plenty of sleep if you're going to study tomorrow. I wish we could get you into the First Branch to get a hold of the alchemy library for studying purposes, but the military won't budge on the rules for that kind of thing, and, frankly, we don't want you two being noticed any more than any other candidates. With someone trying to get an alchemist to make a philosopher's stone for them, you want want to make yourselves targets unnecessarily early. Good night, guys."

Ed watched Hughes walk upstairs before turning to Alphonse. "Al, do you get the feeling we're suddenly pawns of some kind?" Hughes had, perhaps unwittingly, given them a useful piece of information. They knew someone was after the stone, and that homunculi couldn't create one. Now though, they knew that there was still a reason for someone to be after trained alchemists directly. And he guessed that had probably happened once or twice. Maybe an alchemist gone missing and found dead if they refused; something like that.

Alphonse shrugged. "It makes sense to me. Both sides need alchemists right? We should be careful, Brother. At least I'm sure we're on the right side," he added. "I mean, Hughes is really nice, and his family is too. Mustang's abrasive, but he seems to be sincere about stopping these guys."

Ed nodded. Much as he didn't like Mustang, Alphonse had a point. Besides, what were they going to do now? Back out and go home? Ed could never show his face to Winry again if he did. It would be admitting he really was worthless, and he just couldn't take that humiliation. "He does," he agreed grudgingly. "C'mon, Al," he stood up and headed for the stairs. "Let's get some sleep. We have a lot of training to do if we want to pass that Exam."

The week seemed too long and too short all at once. While they didn't have access to the military's alchemy section, Mustang had arranged for them to have access to the books of a couple of the State Alchemists still living in Central, and the boys spent hours alternately pouring over the material and practicing. They exercised and sparred twice a day as well, almost more for stress relief than anything else.

During that time that never saw hide nor hair of Roy Mustang. Not that Ed minded that in the least. Staying with the Hughes' was actually pleasant. They were a perfectly stable, happy family, something Ed hadn't realized exactly how much he missed. Oh sure, he missed his Mother, but it had never occurred to him to miss having two parents. For years, he had only considered himself as having one. Maes Hughes, for all his obsessive weirdness and tendency towards being silly, was a really good father; even firm when he needed to be, though Elicia was a very well behaved little girl. Gracia treated them like visiting family and, while she didn't treat them like adults, Ed didn't mind. She really did remind him of Mom sometimes. That, and she managed to always cook enough delicious food that at the end of the meal, even Ed could honestly say he was full!

The day of the exam dawned sunny, but cold. Gracia already had breakfast on the table when the boys came downstairs, yawning. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked with a kind smile as she served up eggs, bacon, oatmeal; good solid filling food.

"Some," Alphonse smiled. "Just a little please, I'm too nervous to be really hungry."

"Well I'll take what he doesn't want," Ed grinned as he sat down across from his brother. "I didn't think I'd get to sleep. But once I did…."

"I had to dump him out of bed," Alphonse smiled.

Gracia chuckled. "Maes said he'll give you boys a ride over when you're ready. He's upstairs with Elicia right now."

"Figures," Ed smiled. He was in a surprisingly good mood. The prospect of finally getting somewhere with all this, and showing off he admitted to himself, was appealing. This wasn't about height, this wasn't about age, this was about sheer alchemical ability, and Ed knew he had that.

"He means we appreciate it," Alphonse said. "It's nice to see a father who loves his daughter so much."

Gracia's expression softened. "We're lucky to have him." She knew that Ed and Alphonse's mother had died several years ago, and their father gone off; it had come out in conversation, though the boys had been purposefully vague, and Hughes had done nothing to inform his wife of anything unusual about the situation.

As soon as they were done, Hughes dropped them off for the exam. The written was, in all honesty, harder than Ed had expected. There were several questions that seemed to be entirely hypothetical, or theoretical, requiring him to try and figure out the best way to approach them. He came up with answers for everything, but by the end his brain felt a little like mush.

"Was that as hard as it felt to me?" Alphonse asked quietly afterwards.

Ed groaned. "Yeah. My brain feels like it's been trampled by sheep. Let's go get some lunch. They're supposed to have results and interviews right after." The Practical, if they were lucky enough to make it that far, would be tomorrow. Ed wished they were all on the same day; he'd rather get it over with.

"I'm not really hungry," Alphonse commented with a shrug, though he laughed when Ed glared at him. "But we can go if you want to."

While they were eating, Roy Mustang dropped down beside them.

"Long time no see," Ed snorted. "You finally remember we were here."

"Be nice, Ed," Alphonse frowned. "Hello, Colonel. Can we help you?"

"I have the results of your tests," Mustang replied without further preamble.

Suddenly, food didn't seem nearly as important. Mustang had Ed's full attention. "And?"

Mustang grinned smugly. "Congratulations boys, you both passed."

Alphonse's face lit up and Ed grinned back at him. "Told you we'd do it," Ed smirked at Mustang.

"Don't get cocky, Edward," Mustang said. "There's still the interview before you get to the practical." He stood up again. "And you should know," he looked at Ed. "Alphonse scored higher."

"Oh really?" Ed looked over at his brother, who just shrugged, though he grinned. They had competed in many things over the years, especially when it came to alchemy. It had always gone back and forth; for the most part they were usually evenly matched.

The interview was another interesting experience. Ed sat on that three-legged chair and faced Fuhrer Bradley and the others in the room with a determined but school expression.

"Why do you want to be an alchemist for the state?

Well, they certainly didn't waste time getting to the point. It was a question Ed had been expecting, and it was something he had pondered for a while. A true answer, but one that reflected they would accept. "I made a promise to the only family I've got left and to myself, to become an alchemist in service to the state, and take all the good and the bad that comes with it." Telling them he was trying to prove to himself, and the world, that he wasn't a total screw up didn't seem like the better option. Ed held his breath, and was relieved when they didn't ask for elaboration, but moved on to other questions.

It was still a grueling interview. They did want to know about his automail leg. He and Mustang – through Hughes really – had agreed that a childhood accident was the easiest option; crushed under a fallen tree. It helped to have the story straight, in case they asked Alphonse about his brother too. It felt weird to right out lie about it, but better than telling them the real story.

Ed felt wrung out by the time it was over, but he left with his head held high and no outward sign of how tough it had been. He refused to show weakness.

At the end of the day, he and Alphonse waited for the results of the interviews, and for Hughes to get off work so they would have a ride back to his house. They could have walked, but it was a pretty good walk even for boys used to going almost everywhere on foot.

They waited in Mustang's office again, the Colonel wasn't in, but his staff were busy as usual. This time, Warrant Officer Falman and Master Gunnery Sergeant Feury were in house, as well as Breda and Havoc. Hawkeye was elsewhere. Alphonse chatted with the men in the office. They were getting pretty chummy Ed thought. Ed answered questions if asked, and listened to the conversation. They were learning a lot about the military if nothing else.

Eventually Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hughes all walked in together. Hughes looked up and grinned. "Hey boys, nice to see you survived so far."

Ed chuckled. "Yeah. They haven't thrown anything at us that'll kill us yet."

"That comes tomorrow," Mustang commented.

"You mean we passed?" Alphonse asked, sitting up eagerly.

Mustang nodded. "They were very impressed with your interview, Alphonse."

"Hey, what about me?" Ed asked as the thought occurred to him for the first time, what happened if they took Al, but not 'him?'

Mustang shrugged. "They passed you. Be grateful."

Ed wanted to smart off, but bit down on his tongue to keep from doing it. The quips Alphonse, Winry, Pinako – heck, most of Resembool – had never seemed to mind much hadn't made him particularly popular here, and anything that was publicly disrespectful to Mustang only hurt his chances of getting along with people that, he realized, he kind of liked. They didn't try to mess with him like Mustang did. They were straightforward and relatively easy going most of the time, but they took their work seriously enough. "Yes, Sir," he replied shortly.

"Wow, he can learn," Mustang quipped sarcastically as he crossed the room. "See you tomorrow at the Practical boys."

"Why does he always have to be that way?" Ed griped in the car on the way back to the house.

"Why do you have to antagonize him?" Hughes asked philosophically from the front seat. "You're a lot alike actually."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. What do I have in common with that ego-centric, demeaning, stubborn…"

"You're digging yourself into a hole, Brother," Alphonse chuckled. He was sitting up next to Hughes.

"I am not ego-centric!" Ed glared at the back of his brother's head.

"Two out of three is pretty good though," Alphonse replied, shrugging. "You could try being nicer brother."

"I have been nice," Ed scowled and looked out the window.

Alphonse seemed to give up. "If you say so. We should probably practice a little more tonight. Tomorrow's going to be interesting."

"That it is," Hughes nodded. "I hear that ten alchemists made it through the interviews, and even now, desperate as they are, they aren't likely to take more than two or three."

"Which means we have to be the best," Ed nodded. "Don't worry. We can handle it."

"That's the spirit," Hughes chuckled. "Optimism and determination."

"Or sheer stubborn spite," Alphonse sounded like he was grinning again.

Hughes shrugged. "That's another way to get through the Exam."

Alphonse was worried about his brother that evening. Edward was unusually quiet. There didn't seem to be anything too wrong with him –he ate his dinner—but it was clear that something was bothering his brother. He didn't want to ask in front of the Hughes' though. If he did, Edward would brush him off, or insist he was just distracted thinking about the practical part of the exam tomorrow.

So he waited until they were up in the guest bedroom they had been sharing, in bed for the night. "Brother," he asked into the darkness. "You've been unusually quiet this evening. What's bothering you?"

On the other side of the room, he could hear Edward rustling under the sheets as he rolled over. "Why do you think something's bothering me?"

"Because you're acting like it," Alphonse replied. "I know you, Ed. You're short tempered and abrasive. Tonight, you've just been quiet."

He could almost sense Edward trying to decide whether or not to tell him. It hurt to think that there were things his brother might not be comfortable telling him. They used to share everything; even if it led to fights.

"I'm scared, Al," Edward admitted finally.

"Scared?" Alphonse asked, puzzled. "It makes sense to be nervous, but what are you afraid of?"

"Failing," Edward replied softly. "What if only one of us gets in?"

"Oh," Alphonse considered that. "I guess I'd be okay with it. I mean, if I don't get in, that doesn't mean we can't still be together. I won't leave you alone, Brother."

"I meant," Edward continued. "What if you get in, and I don't?"

Alphonse hadn't even considered that possibility. "Well, then we'll still stick together," he said. "And if neither of us make it, well then, we'll figure out something else. We could go home." Though Alphonse didn't think they would; not knowing what they knew now. How could they?

"If I don't make it in, I can't go home," Edward replied.

"What? That's silly," Alphonse rolled over. It was a cloudy night, so he couldn't see more than the barest silhouette of his brother's bed. "Of course you can. Aunt Pinako and Winry would probably be happiest if we failed and came home anyway you know." It had hurt that they hadn't wanted them to leave, but they had let them go anyway. It was nice, and a little scary, to be allowed to make such a big decision on their own.

Edward shifted. "I won't go home then," he amended. "Not until I do something to prove that I'm not just some washed-up loser, nothing but a 'glorified handyman' before I'm even eighteen."

"No one things of you like that!" Alphonse objected.

"Oh?" Edward snorted. "That's exactly what Mustang called me when he showed up in Resembool, Al. And he's right; and I hate him for that. The only thing I'm any good at is alchemy, and if I can't do something meaningful with that, something more than just fixing broken tools… hell, any good craftsman can do that. Well, if I can't, than I'm not worth much more than the cost of my auto-mail."

His tone was so bitter, so fatalistic. Alphonse winced. "That's not true, Brother."

"So what else am I good at?" Edward challenged.

"Umm… fighting?" Alphonse suggested, finding himself at a loss for a convincing argument.

"Also not much use outside the military," Edward replied. "No, Al. I can't play second string while everyone I know takes charge of their own lives and does something worth doing. Pitt's going, if he hasn't gone already, to train to be a doctor. You're talking about the University. Winry's only still in Resembool instead of Rush Valley because of me."

"Who said that?" Alphonse asked. He hadn't heard that! Well, he knew Winry had feelings for his brother…

"Winry," Edward replied bitterly.

"Wow." Alphonse wasn't entirely sure how to take that. She had been waiting, he suspected, for them to admit their feelings to each other. Well, that had happened finally! So why did he get the feeling that had only complicated things?

"Whatever," Edward sighed. "I'm tired, Al. Get some sleep."

"Sure, Brother," Alphonse sighed, settling back in under the  
covers and closing his eyes. He'd only had time for a brief conversation with Nellie before leaving, but she had said she understood. They hadn't made any promises to wait for each other. They both agreed they weren't old enough to really think this was it. If they were still interested when Alphonse came home, or she decided to leave Resembool well, then they could try again.

Apparently, things between Edward and Winry were far from being that simple or that reasonable. Alphonse felt for his brother, and hoped he could come up with a way to help him feel better if things went badly tomorrow.

Ed tried not to let his nerves show the next day. He was worried about having admitted some of his insecurities to Alphonse as it was. There was no need to burden his brother with his problems, and now he kept noticing glances in his direction from his brother. Was that sympathy he caught on his face? He hoped not. He just ate his breakfast and got ready to go.

The parade grounds outside Military HQ contained a large amount of raw materials provided for transmutation. While Ed and Alphonse had discussed strategies for what to do, the one thing they both agreed on was, one of their best tricks was the fact that neither of them needed a circle to transmute. That alone gave them an edge, if they used it right.

The first man to go created a monolithic statue out of stone, amazingly detailed and tall enough both boys had to crane their necks up to see the top of it, but tired himself out. The second one a self-rejuvenating waterfall that ran back around into one continuous loop, that rose up into the air.

"Wow," Alphonse commented softly. "They're good."

"We'll beat them," Ed replied, sounding more confident than he felt.

Their chance came sooner than he anticipated. The third man used wood from trees, and water, to make a hydrogen-paper blimp. It was impressive, until a hole developed; then it crashed into the towering statue and smacked into the waterfall, toppling slowly over as stone crashed down and the water began to spill in a violent torrent. The men were still standing below, and people standing nearby stepped back, shouting.

Ed didn't think, but darted forward. With a clap of his hands he dropped to the ground. Above him, things began to glow. He was vaguely aware that Alphonse had done the same thing. He didn't try to formulate a plan…he just transmuted. Something that would be harmless to the people standing below.

The rocks and water rose into the air under the combined power of two transmuting alchemists, then there was a bright flare.

Gasps of surprise, and not fear, made Ed open his eyes and look up.

Hanging above them both was a huge wreath of flowers, like the one he had made for Mom before she died, and shining within it, a perfect double rainbow. He looked at Alphonse. "Did we do that?"

Alphonse was grinning. "Looks like it."

Apparently, that was more than enough.

"Good work, boys," Mustang nodded a little later in his office. "That little display really impressed the Fuhrer. You're both in." He slipped two envelopes across the table. "It's a tradition for all alchemists to have a second name. These are yours."

Edward pulled out the paper and looked down at it. Full Metal? Wasn't that ironically appropriate. It was hard, heavy, no-nonsense; he liked it. He looked over at Alphonse. "So what're you?"

Alphonse chuckled. "True Soul."

"The Fuhrer said he hadn't heard such an honest and well intentioned person in years," Mustang chuckled.

"And you, Brother?" Alphonse asked.

Ed smirked. "Full Metal."

Alphonse grinned. "That fits."

Mustang pulled two watches out of his desk. "Every State Alchemist gets one of these," he said, sliding them across the desk as well. "They'll help amplify your alchemic power. Take care of them. That's your only identification as a State Alchemist."

"Yes Sir," Alphonse nodded.

"Good. Lieutenant Havoc, make sure these two get proper uniforms. Report back to me when you're dressed, and we'll discuss your first assignment."

That was it. No further fanfare. Just a simple congratulations, you're a dog of the military now, go fetch your own leash and tags. Nice. Ed stuck the watch in his pocket. "Let's go, Al."

He followed Lieutenant Havoc down the halls until they reached the right room.

The man inside looked them over skeptically. "I've got something small enough for you," he pointed to Alphonse. "But I'm not sure I have anything in midget," he smirked at Ed.

"Easy, Brother," Alphonse grabbed him as Ed contemplated violence.

As it turned out, they did have a uniform that fit Ed, mostly. It was a little loose, and a little long. Ed felt like a kid playing dress-up more than a bona fide member of the military. Maybe Gracia would be kind enough to do some quick alterations before he had to wear it again tomorrow.

"It itches," Ed complained as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"It's not so bad," Alphonse grinned.

"You're just saying that because it looks good on you," Ed muttered, glaring at his brother. Alphonse looked much more tailored. The shorter hair cut helped. Ed's longer braid looked out of place.

Alphonse shrugged. "You look fine, Brother."

"If you're ready to go, peacock," Havoc chuckled. "The Colonel actually has work for you boys to be doing now that you're not just here for laughs."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PEA?"

"It's a bird, Edward," Alphonse sighed. "We're ready, Lieutenant."

"Good," Havoc nodded, smirking at Ed. "Better watch that temper there, Major."

Oh yeah. Ed was a Major now. So was Alphonse. That actually meant he technically outranked the Lieutenant. Still, Ed suspected trying to pull rank this early in the game would only get him smacked down. "Thanks for the advice," he commented.

When they returned to Mustang's office, things were as busy as ever.

"What's our assignment, Colonel?" Alphonse asked when they stood in front of Mustang's desk once more.

Mustang looked at Alphonse with approval, and chuckled when he looked at Ed, which made his blood boil. "We have a warehouse full of old alchemical research, projects, supplies and the like. It needs to be inventoried so we can determine what is still useful, and what needs to be disposed of." He handed them each thick packets. "That's the last inventory that was done on the place."

Ed looked at the date on it. "But, this was five years ago!"

Mustang nodded. "I know. Better get hopping, Fullmetal. You've got work to do now."

"So this is the glory of serving the State," Ed groused five hours later. He had clambered around on top of shelves and boxes, scrambled up and down ladders, and counted all the items in over fifty boxes already. Alphonse had been just as busy, though he didn't seem to mind nearly as much.

"It needs to be done, Brother," Alphonse shrugged as he closed up another box and marked off several things on the list. "You can't have expected us to get handed something big right away can you? We're still technically kids, even if we are State Alcehmists."

"With all Mustang's talk of homunculi and the Philosopher's Stone and an immediate threat, yeah, I kind of expected something more useful," Ed groused, dropping down onto a box and wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform. "And this thing's hot too. How much more do we have to finish?"

"That's it," Alphonse smiled. "Well, at least, that's the last box. There are several things missing actually that aren't marked as having been removed."

"I wonder why," Ed looked at his own list. Yeah, there were a few things missing on his still. "Maybe they just keep lousy records?"

At the back of the building, something clanked to the floor. In the metal and wood building, the sound echoed.

"Or maybe there's a rat," Alphonse commented softly.

"Let's go," Ed stood and motioned for his brother to take the left, and he'd take the right. If they could come around and corner whatever it was, they might find out what had happened to the missing supplies.

The high stacked shelves made great cover, especially for two young men. It wasn't long before Ed spotted their quarry. A man, in his mid-thirties maybe, carefully slipping a box out through a hole in the wall, one likely made with alchemy since it hadn't been there when they started at this end of the building. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he asked, stepping out into the open.

The man froze, and turned, his eyes wide, then dove out of sight.

Great. "Give up," Ed suggested as he followed him around. "And this will be easier on you." He was pretty sure he and Alphonse could handle one guy. At least, until he came around the corner and ducked with a yelp as an alchemical flash sent bullet-shaped chunks of concrete at his head. He rolled, and vanished around another corner. darn! "Heading your way, Al!" he called, figuring the heads up would be needed, and the man probably knew there were two of them in here already if he'd heard them talking at all. He also knew that Al wasn't actually in the direction the man was heading, so he wasn't giving away his brother's position.

Alchemical chaos ensued as they chased the man through the storage warehouse, trying not to destroy everything they had just created; extending metal shelving across aisle ways, buckling concrete, and even generating rope out of any material that would work to try and catch him.

Finally though, it came down to good old fashion enginuity. Ed leapt to the top of one set of shelves, running across the boxes and noticing the man running below, with a burst of speed, he leapt ahead, and transmuted the shelf, sending a box toppling down on the man…. .who sprawled to the ground out of the way as the box of lead bricks –it would be lead- slammed down behind him.

"Got him!" Alphonse called as he caught up and slapped hand-cuffs he'd whipped up out of shelf-metal onto the man, who appeared to be unconscious.

"Great!" Ed called as he tried to come to a stop…only to realize he'd misjudged the length of the shelves, and slid off, crashing to the floor with a solid thump that ended with his head thumping the shelves behind him and the crunch of metal breaking. That didn't sound good! "Owww…" he rubbed his head as he sat up. He tried to move his leg, and it worked, but barely. It sounded like the foot was broken in a few places. "That's not good."

"Can you walk, Edward?" Alphonse asked as he came over and helped him to his feet. Ed tested the foot.

"Well enough to get back and tell Colonel kiss-ass his idea of an assignment stinks."

Alphonse grinned. "So you're fine. Let me call reinforcements and we'll see about getting your foot fixed."

Ed leaned against the shelves while he waited for Alphonse to return. The man didn't stir. Apparently he'd slammed his head when he dove out of the way. He looked like a pretty ordinary guy really. Ed wondered what he was doing stealing out of a military warehouse.

Alphonse returned with other soldiers a few minutes later, and the man was taken into custody. After a report was done, and the hole marked and photographed, Alphonse and Ed went back through fixing everything that had been transmuted.

By the time they were done, Ed couldn't walk straight on the foot at all. Fortunately, his brother was a willing crutch back to Mustang's office. It was late, but the Colonel was still at work, as were several of the staff.

"Good work," Mustang smirked when they finished telling him what had happened. "We've had someone sneaking in there for a couple of weeks now."

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Ed asked, annoyed.

Mustang shrugged. "I figured someone would catch him eventually."

"You set us up!"

Mustang looked up over his report. "The opportunity was there, Fullmetal. I had no way of knowing the thief would actually show up today."

"Excise me, Sir," Alphonse asked. "But, why was he stealing alchemy supplies anyway."

"Apparently his funding got cut a few months ago on a project," Mustang shrugged. "So he was trying to find other ways of continuing." He shrugged. "Better get that foot fixed, Fullmetal. There's plenty more work for the two of you tomorrow."

"Not just hold on a –"

"Umm…excuse me?"

They all turned and looked at the nervous looking Second Lieutenant in the doorway. He swallowed, then stood up and saluted. "Sorry for interrupting Sirs! But Major Elric and Major, um, Elric – wow that's confusing – well, they have a guest here Sirs!"

"A guest?" Ed looked at Alphonse. Who would be coming to see them in Central?"

Mustang sighed. "Escort her in here, Lieutenant Fiennes."

"Her?" Ed looked back at Mustang. "Did you know someone was coming?"

Mustang shook his head, and smirked. "No. But I'd bet a promotion on who's going to walk in that door."

"Hrmph," Ed leaned back against the couch he'd been sitting on and crossed his arms.

There was a knock on the door again a few minutes later. Without looking up, Mustang called out, "Come in, Miss Rockbell."

"What, Winry?" Ed sat up a little. Surely Winry wouldn't have come all the way too…

The door opened, and – much to Ed's annoyance that Mustang was right – Winry walked into the room, carrying a bag and her tool kit. She smiled until she saw him on the couch, with the auto-mail leg propped up, boot off since the damage had been looked at, so it was rather evident. "What?! You're gone less than a month and you manage to do this? What were you doing!"

Ed blushed and looked away. "Inventory."

"Of what? Explosives?"

"No need for shouting," Mustang cut in dryly. "The Majors' Elric just finished apprehending a thief who's been giving us some trouble lately."

"Oh." The red faded from Winry's face. Only then did she seem to notice the uniforms, cause she smiled. "Congratulations guys." She sighed and shook her head. "I guess I should get you fixed up."

"My office is not a repair shop," Mustang frowned. "Or a hook-up location. I suggest you go elsewhere."

"You'd never know it the way his phone rings," Havoc grumbled.

"What was that, Havoc?"

"Oh, nothing Sir."

Winry looked like she wanted to hit Mustang as much as Ed did, but Alphonse spoke up first. "No problem, Colonel. I'm sure there's somewhere else we can go."

As Alphonse was helping Ed up and Winry was collecting the broken pieces of his foot, the door opened and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes walked in. "Well, I thought I heard you saw some action today, Edward. I didn't realize there were casualties," he chuckled and looked up. "You must be Winry." He offered her a hand to shake.

Was Ed the only one surprised she'd shown up?

Winry nodded. "Yes, Sir," she said, taking it a little hesitantly.

"You're as lovely as the boys told me," Hughes smiled. "Well, if you need someplace to repair Edward's foot, I suggest we go on back to my place. It's dinner time anyway, and I suspect you'll have a more willing patient when he's fed."

Winry chuckled. "That's usually the case," she agreed.

Nice, Ed just loved being talked over. "Let's go," he said. He'd have walked out if he hadn't needed Alphonse's help. Instead, he had to suffer the humiliation of being helped down the hallway and out to Hughes's car.

"So what are you doing here, Winry?" he asked once he was settled into the back seat and they were on the road. Alphonse was up front with Hughes again, and Winry was in the back with Ed. For some reason, that made him uneasy. Whether it was the fear of getting clocked with a wrench, or the urge he had to try kissing her again, both were making the ride more difficult.

"Well that's a fine hello," Winry sniffed. "I come all the way out from Resembool to congratulate you guys and I don't even get a 'glad to see you?'"

"How did you know we'd pass?" Alphonse asked curiously.

Winry chuckled. "Confidence; you're both too stubborn to fail."

"Got that right," Hughes chuckled. "Talented too; you missed quite a display this morning."

"And this afternoon, apparently," Winry smirked. The way she was behaving, it was almost as if nothing had ever passed between them out of the ordinary. Ed wasn't sure what to make of that. "I also thought you would probably have need of my services at some point. You're always rough on your auto-mail."

The unsaid 'I told you so' hung in the air, making Ed uncomfortable. He sighed. "Thanks for coming," he finally smiled.

"Yeah," Alphonse said. "You have great timing!"


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Part 4

Fortunately for Ed, Winry really was a wiz with auto-mail. After dinner, and getting out of that uniform, he sat on the couch with his leg propped up while she worked away with single-minded determination. In two hours, his foot was as good as new.

"There you go," she smiled as she torqued a screw one last time. "Give it a try."

Ed swung his leg over and put the foot down, testing it. Then he stood and stomped it a couple of times. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Perfect engineering."

Winry blushed then tossed her head and grinned. "That's what you get from a quality craftsman."

"Well they certainly didn't undersell your skills," Hughes smiled as he came over and looked down at Ed's foot. "Nicely done."

"Thanks Mister Hughes," Winry smiled as she stood up, stretched, and removed the apron she always wore over her clothes when she was working with auto-mail. "Though I have an unfair advantage over other mechanics in this case; that leg is one of my own designs."

Hughes chuckled. "Then I'm doubly impressed."

"I'm hoping to spend some time in Rush Valley studying when I get the chance," Winry admitted. "There's so much I still don't know."

"Don't worry about it," Ed grinned, trying to make her feel better. "There's no way to improve on this, trust me." He always felt awkward when she got like that.

Winry looked away, but Ed thought she was blushing again. He caught Hughes looking at him watching Winry and looked away, probably a little too fast.

"I should figure out where I'm going to stay," Winry said as she finished the last bit of packing. "I hadn't actually figured that out when I came to see you guys earlier."

"Well you're welcome to spend the night on the couch," Hughes offered with a smile. "I'm afraid we're out of spare beds. Tomorrow I'll see if maybe Lieutenant Hawkeye minds a guest at her place."

"Thanks, Mister Hughes," Winry smiled.

"Winry can have my bed," Alphonse offered. "I don't mind the couch."

Hughes laughed. "I'm sure you don't, Alphonse, but somehow I don't think that's the safest arrangement."

"Why not? I…oh," Alphonse's ears went pink, and he grinned. "Right."

"What?" Ed looked at them both. Slowly he realized that Winry had gone bright red in the face. Only then did it occur to him what the other men found so funny, and his own face flushed. "Geez."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Edward," Hughes slapped him on the back. "Let's just say I wouldn't trust the situation. I'll go find an extra blanket."

"I need to use the restroom." Winry vanished with an overnight bag down the hall.

"Stop grinning, Alphonse," Ed glared at his brother when Hughes had left. "It's not funny."

Alphonse shrugged. "I think so. You should see yourself, Brother. You've been watching her ever since she got here."

"I have?" Ed didn't think he'd been that obvious. He ran one hand through his hair. "Hell. I'm not even really sure what to say to her, Al."

"How about you just calm down and be yourself?" Alphonse shrugged. "It's always been enough."

Ed shook his head. "That'd be fine if I knew what I was doing," he sighed. "But lately I just… well, you saw darn it!" Alphonse had caught them on the river bank. Surely he understood the problem! "How am I supposed to be myself when I don't trust myself to stay in control?"

Alphonse looked sympathetic. "Control really isn't your strong point, is it?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, brother," Ed glared at him; then sighed. "I don't know. This is just the kind of complication no one needs in life. It was easier when I thought she just thought of me as a brother."

"Why don't we go upstairs," Alphonse suggested, standing.

It was a little early for sleep yet, but the idea of avoiding any more embarrassing or difficult conversations today was a good one. Fortunately, Gracia had assured Ed she could do some quick alterations to his uniform to make it fit properly. Apparently she was also a pretty good seamstress. That wouldn't be ready til later tonight though. Ed could try it on in the morning. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Winry ducked back into the bathroom instead of stepping fully out into the hallway when she heard the boys heading in that direction. She hadn't meant to overhear their conversation, really, but the sound had carried far too well. She leaned against the door even after she heard Edward and Alphonse's feet on the stairs. Then their door shut upstairs. Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them down. She was beginning to think that, despite the fact she had been right about Ed's auto-mail, she shouldn't have come. She had stayed in Resembool for a month, stewing and angry, then lonely, then depressed, then angry again, trying to be patient while still hoping the boys succeeded in what they wanted to do because, well, she didn't want to see them hurt if they failed.

Finally Granny had told her to stop sulking around the house and get her butt to Central. Winry had jumped the first possible train, trying to tell herself she was eager to see both boys – which she was – and forget about the argument she'd had with Edward before he left. More so, to forget about the two times they had kissed.

From the sound of his words, Edward was just as confused as she was, and her being here was causing him more pain.

"You all right?" came the sound of Hughes' voice from outside the room. "There's blankets and a spare pillow on the couch."

Winry swallowed and opened the door, smiling wanly. "Thank you."

The man's kind face took on a soft, concerned expression. "Something's bothering you isn't it?"

From another stranger, Winry might have found the question an invasion of privacy, but something about Maes Hughes relaxed her. Likely it was the way she had seen him with Gracia, and with Elicia. He was a kind friend, a good father figure, a loving husband; someone easily trusted. She nodded, not sure how to explain.

"How about something warm to drink?" Hughes suggested with a smile. "That always calms me down and helps me get myself straightened out when I've got something tough to ponder."

"Sure," Winry nodded. "Umm… Mister Hughes."

He paused in turning around and glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, Winry?"

"Have you ever hurt anyone by being honest with them? I mean… in a way that's supposed to be a good way?"

Hughes nodded. "Occasionally." Then he turned and went into the kitchen.

Winry settled down on the couch and wrapped up in the blanket, pulling her feet up next to her. Telling someone you loved them wasn't supposed to hurt, especially not if they had feelings back. So why was this so difficult when they had been close their whole lives?

Hughes was back in a couple of minutes with a steaming cup. "Here you go," he said as he sat down next to her.

Winry took the cup and sipped, then her eyes widened in surprised. It wasn't tea. It was…

"I'm told chocolate is better for this kind of thing," Hughes chuckled. "I find I should trust my wife when it comes to girls."

Winry couldn't help but smile a little and took a sip. It was really good!

"You asked about hurting people by being honest," Hughes said after a moment, sighing. "It's easy to hurt when you're uncomfortable with something, even if the other person doesn't mean to hurt you, and it was good that they told you how they felt. If people didn't tell each other how they feel, tensions just build, and they often lead to misunderstandings… and missed opportunities."

Winry listened, sipping slowly and trying to fully comprehend what Hughes was saying. "I wish he'd at least talk to me. Not just to Al," she sighed softly.

"He's afraid of hurting you by saying the wrong thing," Hughes added, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a cloth he pulled from his pocket. "Guys tend to show how they feel by actions; we're not always good with words. So reacting isn't always easy. Sometimes we say things we don't really mean, because we're not sure what to say, and sometimes we say nothing, for fear of hurting that person worse when it's the last thing we want."

"You don't seem to have a problem saying what you mean," Winry pointed out.

"Years of practice," Hughes chuckled. "And a very patient and loving woman. It's harder with the ones you love, because the last thing you ever want to do is hurt them. But that makes it seem easier to hide the truth, to say nothing, and that's not the way either."

"That's just frustrating," Winry sighed, blowing on her cup between sips of the hot liquid. "He's been withdrawing from me, from all of us, for the past couple of years. Ever since the accident really but… I wish he would just really talk to me the way he used to. We used to talk about everything, him and Al and me. Alphonse will still talk to me most of the time but…"

"But he's not the one that gets under your skin," Hughes smiled softly as he put his glasses back on. "Edward seems to feel every emotion intensely as it happens. When he feels something, it's with his whole being; he's a passionate person. Guys like that don't always think rationally while they're dealing with their emotions."

"You sound like you know someone else like him," Winry chuckled.

Hughes nodded. "My best friend."

"You mean… Colonel Mustang?" Winry couldn't really see it.

"He hides it well," Hughes nodded. "But he and Edward are similar in a lot of ways. His interest in those boys isn't entirely in the interest of the State. No more than Edward and Alphonse's are in coming here… or you coming after Edward just to maintain his auto-mail."

Winry felt her cheeks flush pink again. "Well I can't have people thinking I do shoddy work," she replied.

"Indeed not," Hughes laughed briefly. "Seriously though, Winry. If Ed's reacting badly, I can pretty well assure you it's more likely he doesn't want to hurt you, or do something he might regret, than that he doesn't return your feelings."

"I…overheard him saying something similar earlier."

"Ah, I see," Hughes put an arm around her shoulder, gave her a brief squeeze, then let go. It was a very fatherly gesture. "So that's with the sniffles in the bathroom. Sometimes…well, guys worth having are the ones who care that much. Just be patient with Edward. With a doll like you around, he's probably finding it a little hard to stay a gentleman."

Winry thought of their first kiss, and had to admit she hadn't been all that 'composed' either. She was beginning to think she might just permanently go red in the face at this point. Fortunately, Mister Hughes was kind. Her grandmother had been much more to the point.

"He'll talk when he's ready," Hughes finished. "All you need to do is be there."

Winry smiled. "I can do that." It was something she had been doing all her life really, waiting and being there for him.

"I'm glad to hear that," Hughes stood up. "And thanks," he added with a smile. "I hope when I have to give these talks to Elicia, she listens as well as you do."

At that, Winry couldn't help but chuckle. "She'll be smart to listen. Good night, Mister Hughes."

"Good night, Winry. Sleep well."

For the first time in over a month, Winry suspected she finally would.

Upstairs, Gracia was already in bed. She rolled over and smiled at Maes as he entered the room. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming," she teased softly.

Maes chuckled as he took off his glasses and got into his pajamas. "Just soothing some of the emotions running high around here lately," he smiled. "I have to say, I really don't miss being that age when it comes to romance; so much inner turmoil and confusion."

"You were confused when we were engaged," Gracia chuckled.

Hughes grinned, turned off the light, and climbed into bed, pulling her close. "Yeah. I guess I just don't envy those kids getting wrapped up in this mess so young. They're doing adult work, when they haven't even figured themselves out."

"They're good kids," Gracia replied. "They'll figure it out eventually."

"I'm sure they will," Maes replied. "When did sixteen start to seem young anyway?"

Gracia kissed him. "When we passed twenty-five."

"By the time Gracia's sixteen…it will seem like infancy," Hughes chuckled. "I love you, Gracia."

"I love you, Maes."

The rest of their first week as State Alchemist's was no more spectacular than their first day. In truth, it was pretty boring, even if Edward and Alphonse did learn a lot about being State Alchemists, and part of the military in general. There was a lot of protocol and information to absorb. They even had a chance to get into the Library and get a hold of new reading material.

That was the highlight for Ed. He picked out several and spent any spare moment with his nose buried in books about homunculi, the Philosopher's Stone, and a dozen other topics in alchemy, a couple of which were entirely new or he had only heard about in passing.

Winry moved into Riza Hawkeye's apartment the next day, though she still spent a good deal of time over at the Hughes' place. But that made things a little easier on them all. Ed had been fairly certain he had decent self-control –outside of short remarks- until the recent developments with Winry, and that added distance at night, a separate place to retreat to, helped. She also didn't seem inclined to push, but she was there; smiling, easy, sarcastic and opinionated… just being Winry.

She dragged them out shopping on their first afternoon off, pouring through auto-mail shops and hardware stores. Ed didn't mind humoring her; it was actually kind of fun to watch her enthusiasm.

The only thing that continued to frustrate Ed really was Roy Mustang. While Hughes assured him that Mustang had his reasons, Ed was getting tired of knowing there was a threat out there, these homunculi and their plot to get a Philosopher's Stone, and he was supposed to be involved in this somehow, but he had learned nothing new since actually becoming a State Alchemist.

Alphonse, always the more forgiving, was inclined to be patient. "He'll tell us when we need to know, Brother. It's not like he only has one job at a time. The Colonel's a busy man." In the mean time, they both studied more alchemy. Being good enough to pass the exam didn't make them experts yet!

"I've never seen boys your age who enjoy studying so much," Gracia chuckled one evening as she served up tea after dinner.

"Well it's the only way to learn everything we should know about alchemy," Alphonse explained, looking up from his book, and the pages of notes he had been taking. "There's no short cut, so why waste time?"

"Good attitude," Gracia smiled. "There's more if you finish this," she assured them, leaving the tea and crackers on the table.

Ed grabbed absently for a handful of crackers. "You think we'll find any clues Mustang missed?" he asked Alphonse through the mouthful.

"Probably not," Alphonse admitted. "But we should be as familiar with the material if we're going to be any use when the time comes."

That time came a lot faster than Ed was expecting. He was walking from the First Branch Library back to Military Headquarters a couple of days later, and took a short cut down one of the small side-streets.

"Hey, pipsqueak, we'd like a word with you," came a deep, though relatively androgynous voice from behind him.

His temper flared. "Who are you calling pipsqueak!" he growled, spinning around to face whoever it was...and he stopped dead. In front of him stood two people; one, the most sensuous woman he had ever seen, with long dark hair, and a dress that seemed to defy gravity to keep her properly covered. The other one was, well, frankly as androgynous looking as the voice had sounded, though Ed guessed that the one with the freaky hair was male for lack of any other 'obvious' gender specific traits. What Ed 'did' notice, was the rather distinctive tattoo on the woman. He'd seen a picture of that mark. At least she, probably both, was a homunculus!

"He has bite," the male smirked.

"Relax kid," the woman shrugged. "We just want to talk to you."

As if that wasn't enough to make him suspicious. Ed eyed them warily. "What about?"

The male grinned and shrugged. "Just the Philosopher's Stone but, if you're not interested..."

"Hold on," Ed replied. "I didn't say that." He had to play this right. If he could, then he might be able to find out what they needed to know. "Though you're taking an awful big risk coming right out in the open like this aren't you?"

The woman smiled. "Perhaps. But if you know as much as I'm sure you do, Fullmetal, than you'll likely find what we have to say fascinating."

"You do get around," Ed smirked. He hadn't had that name long enough for it to be 'well known,' even if he intended to make it so. But then, given they were supposed to have infiltrated the military, who knew how much else they knew. That, at least, was public record. "What do you want with me anyway?"

"Just to tell you the truth," the woman replied calmly.

"Yeah, I'm a little sick of that self-righteous bastard in blue going around blowing things all out of proportion," the male sniggered. "What can it hurt?" Clearly, Ed thought, the male meant Mustang.

What indeed. Realizing he was cornered for the moment on the quiet side street, he didn't really think running was a good idea. Besides, running was the last thing he actually wanted to do. "Sure," he shrugged casually. "Why not." Play it cool, Edward, and this might just lead to the fastest case-closed in history, with the name Edward Elric topping the list.

He followed them to the nearest cafe, where they took a quiet table in a corner. The place was practically deserted since it was past the lunch rush, but too early for dinner. "All right," he said finally, after they had dispatched the waitress by ordering drinks. Ed suspected he'd end up paying, but he had the cash if they left him with the tab. "What is it you want to tell me that's so important, and why me? Who are you anyway?"

"My my, a lot of questions," the woman chuckled. "We'll start with the last. You can call me Lust. This is Envy," she motioned to the male. "And just what we said, the truth."

"Yeah," Envy smirked. "Do you know what really happened in the Eastern Rebellion?"

Ed's brow furrowed. The Eastern rebellion? He knew what they'd been taught; that there had been an uprising in the East, and that an accident had caused things to blow out of control, leading to the suppression of the Ishballans when they rebelled. This he relayed with a brief shrug. "But everyone knows that."

Lust, the name was certainly appropriate, smirked. "Such a nice, simple story isn't it?" she stirred her drink with the straw, not sipping. "What they didn't tell you, is that it was no accident."

"What do you mean?" Ed scowled.

"The military started that war on purpose," Envy shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They wanted people to die."

"Please," Ed snorted. "Why would they do that?"

"Because they wanted a Philosopher's Stone of course," Lust replied. "Surely you didn't think we were the only ones who did?" Her smile implied she was sure he had thought just that. "Think what the military could do with the Stone. The power and control they could have without even getting soldiers involved. The ability to put down an uprising in moments."

Ed hadn't considered that. At least, not in its full implications. "The Ishballans had a Philosopher's Stone?"

"No," Lust shook her head. "But they had the ability to make one."

That actually fit, Ed realized, with what Mustang had told them about Scar. "That Ishballan, Scar, he tried to make a Philosopher's Stone. But he failed right?"

Envy nodded. "You're smarter than you look, kid. So listen. Your buddies up there, in their nice clean uniforms. Do they ever talk about what happened in the Rebellion? I mean, what they did personally?"

"No. Not really." Ed hadn't really thought to ask. And it was their personal business anyway. Talking about war wasn't exactly pleasant he was sure.

"That's because of what they did," Envy grinned. It wasn't a pleasant smile either. "They killed innocents. Thousands of them. Women, children, the elderly, just because they were Ishballans. After all, what alchemist in his right mind wouldn't want to get a hold of a real Philosopher's Stone?"

"People die in war," Ed replied, trying to rationalize even as he absorbed what the two were saying, trying to find any untruths or twists to their words. The problem was, nothing they were saying sounded like a lie, even when he worked it through. "Sometimes there are unwanted casualties."

"They did it on purpose," Envy shook his head. "Didn't matter who it was. Hell, they even shot Amestrians if it was considered 'necessary.'"

"No one would shoot their own people," Ed objected.

"Oh?" Envy smirked. "Why don't you ask your 'buddy' the Colonel about it? In particular, ask him about two Doctors he shot for helping the wounded Ishballans."

Two Doctors? "Why would I..." he stopped. No. There was no way Envy meant them!

But the look on his face told Ed that Envy knew exactly what he was saying. The homunculus nodded. "Yeah, we know who your little girlfriend is too. It's not hard to find out things like that. Go ahead, verify everything we've said with the Colonel. See what he says."

"She's not my girlfriend," Ed replied almost out of reflex, but his brain was racing now. They really meant what they said; the State Alchemists had murdered people in cold blood, and Roy Mustang had shot Winry's parents? It sounded so ridiculous! But then, didn't a lot of atrocities? A lot of what they read in the history books seemed like it should be complete fantasy, but it wasn't. He couldn't just put this down without the truth. Besides, he could find out the truth. All he had to do was ask Mustang and see if the stories corroborated. "You still haven't answered my other question," he said finally. "Why me?"

Lust smiled. "Why? Because you're the smart one. You're not as blind to the possibilities hear as the others. After all, what we'd like to propose is a little, business deal let's call it. We can work together to end this conflict within the military, and you'll get all the credit for it."

It was eerie that her words echoed his earlier thoughts. "What are you proposing?"

"Uh uh," Envy shook his head. "You want to talk, you go ahead and talk to Colonel hard-head and his 'friends' for yourself first. Find out we're telling the truth. Then, if you're interested, meet us here," he held out a card. Ed took it and looked at it. There was nothing written but a street address. "We'll talk business then. Just remember, both sides are running out of time. If this isn't finished soon, things will come to a head, and more lives will be lost. If that happens, you'll be just as accountable for any innocents who get caught in the cross-fire."

Ed didn't even have to ask who Envy meant. He could guess. Anyone close enough to get accidentally involved; the non-alchemists in the military were at least aware of the dangers of being military, but there was Winry, and Gracia Hughes and little Elicia. Even if they weren't attacked directly, the losses could be ugly. "I'll think about it," was all he promised. He wasn't going to get trapped into a deal. As it was, what they were claiming was already horrible to contemplate.

"That's all we're asking," Lust replied easily. "Just don't take too long. The world won't wait for you if you have trouble making up your mind."

Ed had worked himself up from disbelieving to pissed and determined by the time he stormed into Mustang's office and slammed his hands down on the desk. "All right, ass-hole. I have questions that need answers, now!" he snarled "Did you and your buddies really slaughter innocent women and children in Ishbal, and are you or are you not the bastard who shot the Rockbells?"

The silence that slammed down on the room was almost tangible. It was then that he realized that Alphonse, Winry, Hawkeye, Hughes, and Major Armstrong – who he only knew by face and one very strange, brief introduction – were in the room, staring at him with various degrees of perplexity, horror, annoyance, and pain.

Mustang's own face had gone, Ed thought, briefly stricken, but he recovered so fast Ed might have imagined it. His expression darkened, his eyebrows drawing together. "Close the door," he commented softly, and Hughes moved first, closing the door that Ed had just burst through. Ed heard it click behind him. Then Mustang stood. "Are you completely crazy?" he barked at the top of his voice. "Barging in here like that with no consideration for who might be listening!"

"What's the matter 'Chief,'" Ed retorted without backing down. No way! "Got something to hide?"

"No," Mustang replied firmly, but he took a deep breath and seemed to gather himself. "But given the situation you know is going on, I thought you had better sense."

"Just spit it out," Ed snapped. He wasn't in the mood to be scolded or patronized. Besides, after his initial outburst, Winry had gone white as a sheet. He really hadn't expected her to be here, darn it. This was the last thing he had wanted her to hear if it turned out to be true. "What really happened in Ishbal, Mustang?"

Mustang glared at him. "Yes. We were ordered to suppress the rebellion, no matter who was fighting us. You think only grown men get involved in war, Fullmetal?" His hard expression made Ed angrier as he got the gist of it. Yeah, he and Al were technically 'children' still too. "Uprisings are messy things. When the people revolt as a whole, it's hard to tell who's innocent and who's not. When you're trying to stay alive, it's hard to make sure the killing is discriminate. Soldiers follow orders."

"Well that's a lame excuse," Ed snorted. "Is that what you tell the public when they ask about what happened? So they still think you're a hero? And what about the Rockbells?" His voice actually cracked. It hadn't done that in years, but then, that was the accusation that upset him the most. "While you were following orders, did you kill them to?"

Mustang actually turned away. Was that pain on his face. Now? A little late for that wasn't it?" "Yes," he admitted, his voice gone softer. "I shot the Doctors in Ishbal."

Winry gasped. "How, how could you do that? They were just trying to help people!" she cried out. Then she burst into tears, falling into Alphonse's arms. Ed's brother caught her, looking startled, but the same horrified look was on his face.

What infuriated Ed more was the expressions on the faces of everyone else in the room. Hawkeye, Hughes, Armstrong…. They had all known! Well, of course Armstrong would have, he was one of them. darn it! They all looked like they sympathized with Roy Mustang.

Mustang looked back up at him, his expression gone harder than stone. "Just tell me one thing, kid. Who gave you that information?"

"Our so-called Enemies," Ed retorted.

Mustang scowled. "You talked to them?"

"Yeah," Ed smirked, but there was no real smile to it. "I figured maybe I could get some information we'd find useful. Boy did I find information right? I found out you've been feeding me and Al a bunch of bull-shit! So much for 'Be Thou For the People' right? Military alchemists slaughtered thousands in the name of peace, killing our own. All because the military has it's own agenda!"

"That's enough, Edward," Hawkeye snapped sharply.

"No, it's not enough!" Ed glared at the Lieutenant. "If I don't know what I'm talking about, it's because the Colonel here hasn't seen fit to give me the full picture!" He rounded on Mustang again. "He brought us along here telling us of this horrible threat to the military, and to the people of Amestris; homunculi trying to create a Philosopher's Stone. He didn't bother to mention that the military was just as interested in the Stone. Makes sense doesn't it?" he shrugged. "So many alchemists together. Imagine what they could do with a real stone? All that death, sanctioned by our 'great' military for its own purposes."

"Fine, Edward," Mustang replied, his voice dangerously soft. "You want to know why you're here? Because we believe Fuhrer King Bradley is also a homunculus."

Ed felt his stomach drop out through he legs into the floor below. "What?" No, that was impossible! But then, given everything he'd just learned…. "You're insane. You think the head of the Military is one of them? That no one would have noticed in all this time?"

"There's some evidence for it, Edward," Hughes stepped forward.

His mind was overloading. It was too much to take in all at once; to believe, or know what not to believe. Ishbal. Liore. He was angry, frustrated, pained, panicked, and finding himself altogether too quickly overwhelmed with information and emotions. "So if the military is controlled by a homunculi trying to make a Philosopher's Stone, then why the heck does it need us? For more ammunition? More bodies to throw into the mix?"

"You've got it wrong, as usual," Mustang frowned. "We're not planning to assist the Fuhrer."

Then they were… "A coup? You spineless bastard! You tricked us! This isn't about the State is it? It's about your own grasping grubbing plans to get to the top, and you'll do anyway you darn well can won't you? Well I won't be a part of it!" He spun and headed for the door.

"Edward, wait!" he heard Alphonse cry out behind him, but he slammed the door on the other voices that came after. That bastard! They were being used the whole time! He'd admitted everything the homunculi had said was true. They had slaughtered people in Ishbal, killed the Rockbells; people on their own side just helping the wounded; doing their jobs! And now he wanted Edward and Alphonse to help him with his little power-grab? Forget it!

Tears stung at his eyes, but he brushed them away and kept moving. He'd been played, and he wouldn't ever forgive the man for it!

Alphonse cradled Winry in his arms, stunned, as Edward ran from the room. "Edward, wait!" he cried out, but his brother was gone. Still what they'd heard, it was horrible, but from the sad expressions in the room, he knew it to be true. At least, that Roy had shot Winry's parents, that innocents had died in Ishbal.

"Stupid boy," Hawkeye said softly.

"I can't blame him for being upset," Armstrong commented. The large man looked like he'd been struck. Despite his large exterior, he was really quiet gentle Alphonse had discovered. "It was a horrible war."

"What really happened?" Alphonse dared to ask softly after several seconds. "I mean, there must have been a reason right?" Everything had a reason, even if it wasn't necessarily one that he liked. He was hurt too, but he couldn't imagine Mustang had just done it in cold blood. If he had, men like Maes Hughes wouldn't be his friend; Hawkeye and the others wouldn't be so loyal to him.

Mustang sighed and turned around, leaning against the window, his forehead resting on his arm. Outside, the day was cloudy. There was a rumble of thunder. "When you're a soldier," he began softly. "You're prepared to get orders that don't make sense. When you join up, it should be with the knowledge that you may be told to do things you don't want to; that you don't understand. You trust that your superiors tell you the truth, and you do your job."

Alphonse nodded. He and Ed had known as much when they joined. He had the feeling though, his brother hadn't fully understood the implications.

"The people in the trenches can't see the bigger picture," Hawkeye added when Mustang went silent. "So they have to trust those above them. Figuratively as well as literally."

"And when the line of command is interrupted, corrupted…" Hughes spoke up. "Sometimes bad things happen that never should have."

"We didn't know, when we were sent into Ishbal, that the military had started the war in the first place," Armstrong sighed, looking truly ashamed. "That the government had already been infiltrated and that we were being sent in as more than peace keepers."

"When we arrived, we got our orders," Mustang took up the story again softly. His voice was full of half-suppressed emotion; pain, open and raw it seemed, even after so long. "They didn't make sense, but we were soldiers, and we were young and full of ideals. We did as we were told, even though it didn't make sense, even though we felt it was wrong. If we question those orders, we faced court martial, or worse. Some of us…defected, went AWOL. I sometimes think they were the smartest of us."

Alphonse swallowed. This was the truth. If only Ed had stayed to hear it… to see Mustang now. "And…and Winry's parents?"

"Orders," Mustang replied bitterly. "We were told that the insurgents that kept coming back against us were being treated there. We asked them to stop, but, of course, they were too devoted to their patients; to helping people. They refused. I was told to execute them."

Winry was still sobbing in Alphonse's arms. Mustang stood and turned away from the window, facing Alphonse and Winry, despite the fact he looked like he wanted to cry himself. His voice was harsher, from emotion. "I tried to kill myself afterwards, but I was too much of a coward. So I made myself a promise instead; to never again follow orders I knew were wrong; to get to a position where I wouldn't have to take those orders."

So that was why he was so ambitious. It made sense, and Alphonse could do nothing but sympathize, despite the horrors of the truth.

"Fuhrer Bradley started that war," Hughes spoke up again as Hawkeye offered Mustang a glass of water, and a handkerchief. . "We have plenty of good reasons to believe that he is either the one controlling the homunculi, or a homunculus himself. Patterns of behavior, and all the little details that come together to suggest that he's after the Philosopher's Stone himself."

"But…couldn't he just make one?" Alphonse asked. "Or have an alchemist do it? I mean, there's enough trained State Alchemists still here. Couldn't one of them make it?"

"It's not that simple, Alphonse Elric," Armstrong said, meeting his eyes. "The Stone's components are not so easy to put together."

"Why not?" Alphonse was confused. "What do you need to make a stone?"

"Human lives," Mustang spoke again, handing the glass back to Hawkeye. "There was a brilliant alchemist among us during the war, Doctor Marcoh. He had developed a prototype for a stone; using a substance he called Red Water and some new techniques to refine it. But in all his research, he found out that the only way to make a true Philosopher's Stone, was by using human souls."

"That's horrible!" Alphonse gasped.

"Indeed," Armstrong nodded. "A terrible truth."

"Marcoh deserted, because he refused to make the real thing," Mustang continued. "He took the red water, and the prototype stones we were forced to use in the war, and left."

"But…that's good right?" Alphonse asked. If they'd had stones, even fake ones, in the war, he could only imagine the damage that had caused.

Mustang nodded. "But Bradley and the homunculi still want the stone for their own purposes, and we still don't know why. They can't do alchemy on their own it seems, which is a blessing in itself."

"But that means they need the aid of an alchemist," Alphonse's eyes widened. "As well as the ingredients."

Mustang nodded. "An alchemist who either doesn't know what it takes to make a stone, or one who doesn't care."

Alphonse had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

In his arms, Winry pulled back, wiping her eyes and looking up at Mustang. There was pain in her expression, but not hate. "We need to tell, Edward. If those, monsters, really talked to him…"

"They may be targeting him to see if he'll make their stone for them," Mustang nodded grimly.

"And he's idiot enough to listen if he's still mad," Winry cursed. "I'll go," she stood up. "He'll listen to me." She took one last uncertain look around the room, then hurried out the door.

Alphonse stood as well. "We have to find my brother," he agreed. "Do you have any idea where the homunculi have their headquarters, or whatever they'd call it?" They needed to stop this while they still could, and Ed needed to know the whole truth. Alphonse could guess pretty well what conclusions his brother had jumped to. _Please, Ed, don't do something foolish. _

Once she left Mustang's office, Winry wasn't entirely sure where to go to look for Edward, she just felt a panicked sense of urgency that struck sharply through her grief. When Ed was hurting, he wasn't always rational. What would he do? Where would he go?

She checked the logical places that were closer first, the Mess Hall, the grounds of the military headquarters were extensive, but she figured quickly there were plenty of places he wouldn't be. After half an hour she figured he probably wasn't there at all though. He was mad at Mustang, at the military; he didn't trust them right now. So he had probably gone somewhere else. Maybe he had gone back to the Hughes' house? It was the safest place she could think of.

Her heart still hurt as she ran off that direction as fast as she could go. Ed would be on foot too; maybe she could catch up with him. Mustang had killed her parents; she had always wondered about her parents' killers, always assuming they had been the enemy. But now she knew, and she should hate him for it. But some words Riza had said a couple of nights ago had come back to her as he spoke. She had asked Riza about being in the military; if she had ever killed someone. Riza had explained to her the soldier's mindset, the choice to shoot or not to shoot, and the responsibilities that went with it.

Roy's reasons for doing what he did now; his honest grief at what he had done. Winry was mad as hell at him, but she found as she ran that she couldn't bring herself to really hate him. She didn't really like him, but she couldn't question his convictions.

She arrived at the Hughes' house out of breath, she knocked on the door.

"Winry," Gracia looked down at her, startled, when she answered the door. "Is something wrong?"

"Is Edward here?" she asked, blurting it out before she could even apologize for showing up unannounced. There wasn't time. She couldn't say why she felt that way; but she was too worried.

"No, he's not," Gracia shook her head. "He came back a little while ago, but he changed and left again. Has something happened?" She stepped back as Winry came in the door.

Winry sighed. She had the feeling Gracia had no idea the truth of what had been discussed today in Mustang's office. Hughes would protect his family. "I… he and Colonel Mustang had a disagreement. Edward was upset so I, I thought maybe I could talk to him and calm him down."

"Ah, I see," Gracia nodded. "Well, you can see if maybe he left some clue as to where he was going upstairs," she suggested. "He didn't say anything to me."

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes," Winry made herself smile and try not to look panicked. She hurried upstairs and went into the room the boys were sharing. Ed's uniform was crumpled on the floor. She picked it up and went to hang it in the closet, as she did, a small card fell out on the floor.

Winry crouched down and picked it up. There was an address written on it, but no names. Interesting. She went back downstairs. "Mrs. Hughes, do you have a map of Central?"

"I don't," Gracia shook her head apologetically. "Maes probably does at work. What's the address?"

Winry showed her the card.

"I don't know where that is exactly," Gracia said. "But I can tell you what part of town it's in."

"Thank you," Winry said, and wrote down the directions Gracia could give her. Then she was out the door again and moving quickly. She had lost a lot of time looking for Edward already. Would he have gone to talk to the homunculi again? Did he even know how to get in contact with them again if he wanted to? Why was she so sure he was about to do something stupid anyway? Well, Winry wasn't about to ignore that instinctive response.

She ran around a turn, and almost slammed into someone. "I'm sorry, Sir I…Edward!" Thank goodness!

"Winry," Edward looked at her with a bemused smile. That was… odd. He'd been so upset earlier. There was something a little off about him too; his eyes maybe.

"Ed, you idiot, you had me scared to death," Winry smacked his shoulder. "Running off like that and worrying Alphonse and me and everyone else."

Edward's smile faded and he shrugged, scowling. "Like I care what those hypocrites think."

"You did," Winry countered. "And you don't even know the whole story!"

"I heard enough," Edward replied. "Don't tell me you believe that self-proclaimed hero with a god complex."

"You never listen!" Winry glowered at him. "But you've got to! It wasn't like that. Whether we like it or not, that doesn't mean the truth isn't…"

"You really think he cares about the truth?" Edward shouted.

darn his temper. "Yes!" she shouted, even though something in her mind told her that she was nuts for defending her parents' killer. She quashed that thought for now. "I think he cares a lot about the truth, and this country, and even you and Al, though I'm not sure you deserve it."

"Poor, innocent Winry," Ed chuckled, but it sounded mean. What was wrong with him? He turned and stepped in toward her. "He's just been stringing us along, Winry. He's lied repeatedly. He admitted it."

Winry backed up a step, and found herself with her back against the wall. "Edward, what's wrong with you?"

"Me? I've been lied to, cheated, tricked, stepped on, and made a fool of," he replied with a sneer. "I'm sick of it Winry, can't you understand that? Please…I need you to understand, if no one else."

"What?" Winry looked into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't take this anymore," Edward replied, his expression softening, pain coming through. "If this whole thing has been one big hoax, than what do I have left? No purpose, no second chance, no future…except Alphonse, and…and you. I can't get you out of my head, Winry." He was up close to her now, his hands resting on the wall on either side of her. "Every night I dream, and I'm back on that river bank, with you, and seeing you when I'm awake, remembering, it's driving me crazy. I want us to be that close again. I want to know what comes next. I want you, Winry."

Words she had ached to hear, but not like this. "Then let's go back to the Hughes' and talk," she suggested softly. Something was really wrong here. Had the stress made him snap somehow?

"Later," Edward brushed the suggestion off. If he got any closer there would be no room between him and her. His face was right in hers as one of his hands played with the hair that fell in front of her ear. "I know what I want now, and I'd really rather work this out while I'm thinking clearly." He closed the last couple of inches then, pressing her firm against the wall with a kiss, his whole body against hers.

Winry gasped, and almost gave in. She wanted to respond. Her body wasn't hers it seemed when Ed got that close and yet… what was that on his breath?

"You idiot!" she shoved him off hard, and reared back, clocking him in the head as hard as she could with her fist.

Edward staggered backwards, a hand to his face, his expression shocked, hurt, and angry. "What was that for?"

"Are you drunk?" Winry asked, disbelieving.

Edward shrugged. "What of it?"

This was wrong. This was very wrong. "Ed, look, I know you're upset. You're not thinking clearly. We should really go-"

"Oh shut up, Winry!" Edward shouted. "Damn it. You always think you know better than me! For the first time in a while, I'm thinking clearly. I know what I want, and I know what I have to do!"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Winry asked. She was not going to cry! "God! Please, Edward. What are you going to do? You can't expect these…things… to be any more trustworthy than Colonel Mustang, or Mister Hughes! If Al and I can trust them, why can't you?"

Edward's face went blank for a moment, and Winry hoped she'd struck home, but then he grinned, a cocky smirk that had an edge to it. "You really don't know me as well as you thought, do you? You assume I'm going to just fall in line with either side. Well, I don't trust either of them." His face went dead serious. "I'm going to find out the truth, once and for all. I'm going to fix things, and nothing is going to stop me. For once, I'm going to get what I want." Then he turned, and just started walking away.

Winry hesitated, indecisive. Should she go after him? Or go find help? She was pretty sure she couldn't actually stop Edward if he was that serious. She wasn't afraid of him… at least, not normally. This was so bizarre that she really had no idea how to deal with it. He'd been so forceful, so angry, and so… physical.

Caution won out, and she turned, running back towards Central Headquarters as fast as her feet could take her. She had to find Alphonse, and Mustang! Even Mr. Hughes. Someone would know how to stop Edward from doing something that could very well get him killed!

Ed felt like a jerk, but he didn't dare turn back as he continued walking. He had memorized the address he was looking for, and looked it up earlier. He had meant what he'd said, but seeing Winry's expression had almost made him falter. There was one thing he hadn't said. None of it would mean anything if he lost her in the process. No, she really didn't know him. At least, not the parts of him he didn't dare share with her anymore; the truly selfish, conflicted parts that warred with each other.

No, he wasn't dumb enough to think the homunculi were being any more honest in their intentions than Mustang, but at least they had told him the truths that Mustang had purposefully left out. He'd hear their offer out if nothing else. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. If Winry hated him for this later, maybe it was for the best.

He hadn't been callous enough to tell her he'd been drinking to give him the false courage to come here in the first place.

He stopped in front of Laboratory 5. The place looked abandoned, but too well guarded for that to really be the case. He knew better anyway. Carefully, he scaled the wall, and entered. There was a door open. He slipped inside and walked down the darkened hallway inside.

There were emergency lights on, despite the inactive status of the supposedly abandoned building. It didn't take Ed long to find someone. Or rather, to be found.

"So you came" Lust smiled as she came around the corner and joined him.

"So I did," Ed replied with a shrug. "You said you had an offer. I'm here to listen to your proposal."

"Please, come this way." Lust turned and Ed followed her down the hallways. "Stick close to me. There are a lot of traps in this place if you make the wrong move."

Before long, they crossed through a large, cavernous room and through doors apparently guarded by two suits of armor. Was it just him, or did they seem to be moving ever so slightly? He got the feeling they were watching him. Creepy.

They walked into a room that was unlike any Ed had ever seen. The walls were clear, and full of glowing red liquid. Pillars of the same stuff stood in places around a floor that was marked with a complex transmutation circle. "What is this?" he asked looking around.

"It's called red water, pipsqueak," Envy commented smugly, stepping away from the wall near the door. "It's the major component of the Philosopher's Stone."

"I read something about that," Ed muttered. It had been mentioned briefly in one of the books he had gotten from the First Branch, but he hadn't had a chance to finish the section, and it hadn't been very detailed. "Is this really all you need?"

Envy shook his head. "Hardly. If it was, this would be a lot easier. We can't do alchemy, but I'm sure you already know that."

Ed nodded. "So you want me to make the stone."

Lust chuckled. "Smart boy."

"What do you want the stone for?" Ed asked, crossing his arms. He really wasn't going into this without a full idea of what was going on. Besides, if this was really what they wanted, he could probably find a way to sabotage it.

"We want to be human."

That voice. It was aching familiar; though it had been so many years since he had heard it. But no, it couldn't be! Ed turned around, and saw her standing there. Mother!

"Nice timing, Sloth," Envy smirked.

Sloth. No, this wasn't his mother. Ed shook himself. Homunculi could look like the person they were meant to be in the first place. He had to remember that. "You want to be human. Why?"

"Why wouldn't we want to be?" Sloth asked gently, her tone perfectly reasonable. She looked and sounded just like her. "We have the memories of the people we used to be. I know some people say we don't, but it's true. If we were human, we would be complete." She moved toward him as she spoke.

"Complete?" Ed couldn't take his eyes off of her as she stopped in front of him and crouched down a little to meet him eye to eye.

"Successful human transmutation, Edward," she smiled brightly. "We would no longer be fakes; not copies, but the real thing. You're talented. I know you could do it, sweetie."

Hell. She wasn't his mother. Edward knew that, intellectually, but his heart pounded inside him, he ached to fall into her arms and cry and tell her how much he had missed her; how lonely he and Alphonse had been without her. He was the one who had done this to her. Made her this thing. "Nice try," he commented, forcing himself to respond. "But you'll have to offer me more than that."

"So you want a real deal," Envy shrugged. "Fine. Make us human, and you can have the Stone itself."

"You'd just give over the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed turned to look at Envy, his tone said clearly how likely he really thought that was. "Forgive me for being skeptical."

"Oh don't worry, Fullmetal," Lust replied. "Yes, you can have the Stone. Think of what you could do with it. End the fighting that's been going on; remove the only threat to the military by making us human; and even get your leg back."

His leg; Ed hadn't even really been looking for that, but it was true. Without Equivalent Exchange, he could get his leg back without worrying about losing something else in its place. "How do I know I can trust you to keep your end of the deal?"

"You can't," Envy smirked. "Except to take our word for it. We told the truth earlier didn't we? Did the 'dear' Colonel lose his cool?"

"Yeah." They had been right on that. It was a weak thing to base trust on though. It was easy to tell the truth when it served your own purposes. "Still sounds too good to be true."

Lust shrugged. "Your choice."

As if they were really going to let him just walk out of here if he said no. Ed wasn't that stupid. Besides, he still wasn't sure entirely what powers they possessed. He'd heard a couple of stories, but he suspected that he didn't want to try taking them on without knowing. All he knew was they weren't alchemists. If he did make them human, he could probably take them if it came to fighting his way out. Weakening the enemy wasn't a bad thing. Heck, taking out the threat, and fixing everything to the way it should be, and getting to shove it all in Mustang's face when he'd done it on his own… it was very appealing. "What's the catch?" he asked finally. "I mean, if this is all it takes to make a Philosopher's Stone, why hasn't another alchemist already done it for themselves? Or are the rumors true, the legends about whole civilizations vanishing? If I do this, will Central be standing when it's all done?"

"I told you he was clever," Sloth chuckled, a note of pride in her voice. It was creepy really.

"Quite," Envy smirked. "You catch on quick, pipsqueak."

"Don't call me that," Ed snipped, but he held back the urge to throttle Envy now. That would come later.

"Whatever," Envy waved a hand in the air dismissively. "A lot of alchemists find the making of the Stone distasteful because of the critical ingredient."

"And what's that?" Ed asked.

Envy smiled sadistically. "Human lives."

That gave Ed pause. "Human lives?" That would explain a lot. It also explained why that Scar guy had destroyed Liore in the process of trying to make his. It must take a lot of souls.

"With the red water, the number of lives needed is minimized," Lust said, apparently following his train of logic without trying. It wouldn't be difficult. "Fortunately this facility is conveniently located."

"What do you mean?" They talked about it so casually, Ed felt the cold in the air.

"A ready supply of thrown away lives of course," Envy shrugged. "There's a prison next door. Or were you too oblivious to notice?"

"Maximum security," Lust continued. "Lots of souls lined up to be killed anyway. Criminals who threw their own lives away destroying others."

"If they're going to die anyway, why not go in a way that might do the world a service?" Envy finished.

Part of the idea horrified Ed, but it had a certain twisted logic to it. They'd be dead anyway; that was their sentence. No wonder the Lab was at this location. Mustang suspected the government was involved; what more proof did they need than that this Lab was still getting power and supplies when it was supposedly condemned?

So was there really a downside here? If he took the offer, and made them human, he could beat them in any fight if they tried to renege on the deal. If it worked, he'd have possession of the Philosopher's Stone and take out the internal enemies of the state at the same time. At the worst, it wouldn't work and a few criminals would meet their execution early. He wasn't sure how he felt about being an executioner, but if they were going to die anyway he wasn't really 'killing' them right? It wasn't like they didn't deserve it. If he refused to think about it, it was just easier on that level. To fix his mistakes, and bring stability to the military again, and so the people of Amestris, it had to be worth it. Hell, even if that thing didn't really turn into his mother, it would be better than leaving the homunculi on the loose.

Ed looked up and nodded. "I'll do it."

"Excellent," Envy grinned. "It's your show." He stepped out of the way.

Ed stepped forward and looked at the way things were set up. "Where are the other ingredients?" It was easier than saying 'people.'

"In the room above," Envy shrugged. "It was easier."

Ed nodded. At least he wouldn't have to look at them while he was doing this. He got down to work. He moved the pillars around, changing the array. He was mostly going off of instinct, but he had a pretty good idea of what would be needed for this kind of transmutation. He'd seen something sort of like this in one of Hohenheim's books. For their part, the homunculi stood around watching and mostly staying out the way.

Ed ignored the voice in his head telling him there had to be another way out of this. At the worst, it wouldn't work. He'd fight his way out if he had to at that point, but it wasn't like he could just walk away. He had already learned a lot of useful information. Not that he had any idea who to give it to. The idea of helping Mustang in his rise to the top left a sour taste in his mouth too. He pulled over a ladder then, and copied the array onto the ceiling. He would need both transmutation circles to combine the 'ingredients' from above with the red water that surrounded them.

"All right," he said finally. Ed stood back and dropped to his knees. He clapped his hands together once sharply in front of his face, and then bent to place his hands on the transmutation circle. It began to glow, and the energy began to whirl.

"Ed! Stop!"

He froze, and looked up as Alphonse and Mustang, both a little worse for wear, charged in. It had been Alphonse who yelled.

"Get away from there!" Mustang bellowed.

Ed had no intention of moving, but Alphonse bowled right into him, knocking him over. Instinctively, Ed grabbed his brother's leg and swung him, as he had so many times in practice. "Watch it, Al!" he yelled as he came back up onto his own feet. Mustang was headed for the homunculi.

"You've got to stop," Al cried out even as he struggled to his feet and got between Ed and the circle. "You don't know what's involved!"

"Yes, I do," Ed replied scowling. "Get out of the way, Al! I can do this! I can fix things!"

"There's got to be people up there!" Alphonse pointed to the ceiling. "You can't!"

Ed shook his head. "They're criminals, Alphonse."

Alphonse's eyes widened. "You knew? But…." The energy went out of him.

"It'll work this time," Ed replied confidently. "The State will be safe Al, and everyone at home in Resembool, and in the military, and I can put everything back to normal."

Alphonse looked like he was going to cry, but the face he gave Ed was set stubbornly. "No you can't, Edward. That's not how this works! Give us a minute to explain."

Suddenly an explosion came from above them.

"What was that?" Mustang yelled.

"Sounds like someone's getting creative upstairs," Envy replied dryly.

The building rocked, and the ceiling caved in, spilling people and debris all over the array.

darn it!

"Let's go!" Mustang bellowed.

"Come on, Brother!" Alphonse grabbed Ed's arm and yanked.

Ed resisted. "No way, Al! This is our chance!"

"I'm not leaving you," Alphonse yanked harder and dragged Ed toward the door. The building shook worse. "This place isn't safe!"

It took all of Ed's will to turn and run from the room, leaving his hopes in the rubble and chaos behind him. The three alchemists ran as fast as they could as the hallway continued to collapse. "What's happening?" Ed called out as they dodged traps down one of the hallways.

"Place sounds like its rigged with explosives," Mustang called back from the front without slowing. He dodged a flying knife and a flash of flames cooked several wooden spears. "They must have set one off!"

"But why?" Ed called back. "When they were going to get what they wanted?"

"Can't you tell a trap when you see one, Fullmetal!" Mustang griped, dodging under a low-slung pipe.

"Can we argue about this later!" Alphonse squeaked between them as another explosion sounded.

They came flying out the front door as another explosion – the fourth if Ed had counted right- sounded almost on top of them, sending debris and alchemist's sailing toward the wall. Ed felt a sharp pain as a chunk of concrete caught him in the temple, then he was sliding into the ground. In the aftermath of the noise, the world was suddenly silent.

Then the sirens began to sound in the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Part 5

"Sit still you baby," Winry glared at Ed as the nurse in the military hospital bandaged his head.

Ed winced. "Not so tight."

"It needs to stay in place," the nurse replied without any sound of remorse or sympathy. "Really, the three of you are lucky, getting out of a collapsing building with nothing but a few cuts and bruises." She shook her head and headed out.

Ed, Alphonse, and Mustang exchanged glances. They hadn't told anyone in the hospital why they were in that abandoned building. Hughes' investigation team had swarmed over the site, keeping anyone from finding out what was in there. Likely the investigation was still going on. Still, the last thing they needed was anyone knowing what had really been in that Lab until they knew what to do about it.

Not that Ed was inclined to say much anyway. His chance was gone; at least for now. What were the chances there was that much red water around anywhere else? None at all most likely. He wondered how many of the homunculi had actually made it out alive. Or, for that matter, how many there really were. He'd only seen the three, but that didn't mean there weren't more of them. Though he realized Mustang hadn't told him how many there were either.

"You're right, ma'am," Alphonse said meekly to the nurse.

She shook her head. "You'd think soldiers would know better." Muttering she left the room. When she was gone, all three of them visibly relaxed.

Winry was still glowering at all of them. She had followed Alphonse and Mustang to Lab 5, but had been sensible enough to wait outside. "So will someone please give me a straight answer now," she asked. "What happened in there?"

Mustang glared over at Edward. "Fullmetal was about to give the enemy exactly what they wanted."

"I had it under control," Ed glared right back.

"You were about to transmute live humans into the most powerful alchemical item known to mankind and use it exactly the way the enemy wants, and you call that under control?" Mustang retorted.

"You were what?" Winry rounded on him, eyes wide with horror. "H…human beings? You were going to make the Philosopher's Stone?"

Ed blinked. "How did you know that was the critical ingredient?"

Winry rolled her eyes. "Because, you hot-head, if you'd stuck around for five minutes you'd have gotten than explanation. Are you insane? What would have possessed you to do something like that?"

"Once they were human, they'd have been easy to stop," Ed replied defensively, looking away. "That's what they want. To be human; to be the people they're supposed to be."

Alphonse sighed, and Ed looked back over at him. "What?"

"It doesn't work that way, Fullmetal," Mustang was still pissed. "Homunculi can't become the people they look like. They may have snippets of memories or not; that's up for debate, but they don't have a Soul. That's the main thing that keeps them from being human. Even if you transmuted them, how would you give them a soul? Where would you get it? The original ones are long gone."

The Soul. That was what had been missing in the Human Transmutation Ed had failed in the first place. It came down to the same problem. He felt suddenly embarrassed. "I'd hoped, without having to abide by equivalent exchange, that it might be possible."

"Foolish brat," Mustang snorted. "Don't you ever think first?"

"Might have helped if he was sober," Winry mumbled. She was clearly upset. Likely the only one not completely furious with him was Alphonse.

Alphonse looked over at Ed with a startled look. "Sober?"

Mustang snorted. "Great. Not only does he run right into an obvious trap and try to hand the enemy exactly what they want, he does it after a few drinks, and underage too. What a spectacular record you're racking up, Fullmetal."

"Like you're such a great role model," Ed retorted sourly. He could feel his pulse in his temple where the wound was tightly bound, and his head hurt in general. He hadn't had that much to drink. He had a pretty good idea of his own tolerances, and he'd only had enough to deal with the jumble in his head until it had calmed down to a couple of trains of thought.

"That's enough, both of you," Winry snipped, shaking her head. "Honestly. What am I supposed to do with you guys?"

"Umm..can I be excused from this verbal lashing?" Alphonse asked with a sheepish shrug. "All I did was follow orders; including yours."

"True," Winry shrugged. "All right. Just next time, hit Ed over the head and drag him out, it might be faster."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Mustang replied smugly. "Next time, we should just lock him in my office and leave him under guard and take care of things ourselves."

"You mean like sitting around on your ass?" Ed was getting really sick of the shredding he was getting. "You didn't even know where they were."

"And now we don't again," Mustang pointed out. "If they survived, and we can assume most of them, if not all, did, they'll have moved to a different hide-out. If you'd staked them out and just brought me the location, we could have come up with a much more thorough plan and possibly caught them all with overwhelming firepower and numbers."

"Oh that would look fantastic on your military record wouldn't it?" Ed stuck his tongue out at Mustang. "Get you another promotion probably."

"Better than letting them escape," Mustang barked back.

"Ah, I see everyone's just fine," Hughes chuckled as he opened the door. "I could hear shouting all the way down the hall." He came in and closed the door again behind him.

"What's the report, Hughes?" Mustang asked with one last glance at Ed.

"Not much left to report," Hughes sighed. "There's very little left of the building besides rubble. We found the room you described. There were several bodies we did identify as prisoners from the building next door, but no one else. Certainly no homunculi." He scratched the back of his head with one hand. "We've circulated the story of an attempted prison break accidentally setting off scheduled demolitions early to cover it up. The red water's all gone though."

Ed wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved that the homunculi had gotten away. If they had died, he could have at least claimed that some good had come out of the whole disaster.

"Good work, Hughes," Mustang nodded. "Anything else?"

"Not yet," Hughes shook his head. "I've got my team doing a thorough investigation though. It seems Lab 5 was still fully operational. There's a huge set-up in the lower levels that had live chimeras. Some of them based on humans."

"Chimeras," Mustang scowled. "Imagine that. Alive?"

"The blast hardly touched the below-ground floors," Hughes replied. "The human ones are fully intelligent. They used to be soldiers."

"Soldiers?" Alphonse spoke up. His knee was bandaged, held in place from a bad wrenching, but otherwise he was unhurt.

"From the Ishbal massacre," Hughes replied. He didn't elaborate further. "But that's discussion for another time and a more secure location," he chuckled. "I've got permission to take the three of you out of here. So I'll drop Roy-o here off and the rest of us can go home." He turned to Ed and tossed him a wad of sens, which he caught in one hand. "I found that in the kitchen. Didn't take long to figure out why." Ed sighed. Of course Hughes had thought to check his cabinets. "You and I need to have a talk, Edward." Hughes didn't comment further but looked at Winry. "Would you like to be dropped at Lieutenant Hawkeye's, or would you like to come over for dinner? Gracia's got it on hold til I let her know when we'll be home."

Winry looked torn. Ed felt guilty for what he'd said earlier, but he didn't think now was the time to apologize. "I'd like to go back to Riza's apartment please," she said finally, and Ed couldn't blame her. He'd been a jerk, an idiot, and nearly a traitor, all in one day.

The ride back to the Hughes' house was very quiet. Mustang seemed to have finished his ranting at Ed, and sat quietly up front with Hughes. Winry sat in the back, with Ed on the opposite side, and Alphonse in the middle. Winry said a few words to Al, but didn't even try to look past him at Ed.

Ed resolved himself to a lot of dark looks and sharp words for the next few days. He didn't think Mustang's staff would be easily forgiving. Armstrong either. The car stayed quiet until after Mustang and Winry were dropped off respectively. Then, as if he couldn't take the quiet anymore, or just wanted to kill time, Alphonse started talking, quietly, recounting the conversation that had taken place in Mustang's office after Ed had left. Hughes didn't speak, though Ed caught him nodding from time to time. Apparently Alphonse had a knack for repeating things perfectly.

The more he heard, the worse Ed felt. Clearly Alphonse believed what Mustang had said – Hughes certainly did – and with the added information, all the facts lined up in a completely different light. If he'd only bothered to think things through a little more…. "I'm an idiot," he said finally, rubbing his face with one hand.

"No disagreement there," Hughes' reply from the front stung more than Ed would have expected. Up to now, Hughes had been nothing but supportive. "But it's over with now, Edward. Learn from the experience and move on."

Was that it? "Is that all you have to say?" he asked.

"No," Hughes replied. "And we might as well have it out here."

Ed braced. Have it out. Was Hughes going to ask him to leave his house? That idea hurt too. Ed hadn't realized just how at home he had come to feel at the man's house, with his family. The truth would hurt Gracia and Elicia too, and that was the last thing he wanted. "Yes, Sir."

He almost expected Hughes to chuckle, but he didn't. "I'm not going to give you a lecture on the evils of drinking," he started off. "How bad it is, or how it stunts your growth. You're sixteen, if you don't already know all that verbatim by now, I'd be amazed."

Ed snorted and nodded. "Al is the saint, not me."

"You mean you've done this before, Brother?" Alphonse looked stung.

"When my mind gets really muddled it helps clears things up," Ed shrugged, though he couldn't bring himself to meet his brother's eyes. He wasn't even sure why he should feel ashamed, but he did. It was something else that tarnished his reputation in the eyes of his brother; the one person who honestly seemed to admire him. "It's not something I've done a lot."

"Oh." Alphonse still sounded disappointed. If Ed had ever wondered if his brother had done something similar, those ideas were laid solidly to rest. Alphonse really was that innocent.

"So what are you going to give me a lecture on?" Ed asked. Hughes' statement hadn't ruled out further remonstrations.

"You're a smart kid, Edward," Hughes went on obligingly.  
"You're good at analyzing problems and making decisions based on available resources."

"This is a lecture?" Ed asked skeptically.

"I'm not finished," Hughes said. "The problem is you ignore the facts, or the gaping holes in your information, when you let your emotions get involved. You've got a hair-trigger temper and a bad attitude when you don't like your information source. Look, I do investigations for a living right? How likely would I be to come to the right conclusions if I only saw what I wanted to see?"

"Not very good," Ed admitted softly. Hughes was right. He'd made one hell of a mistake, several really, because he didn't like Roy Mustang. He still didn't trust Mustang, but the man had been right. That rankled.

"It's all right to feel strongly about things," Hughes actually sounded sympathetic. "But when your emotions get in the way of your judgment, that's when you risk a mission, losing critical information, yourself, and often the people around you. It's not easy, but it's essential to learn to keep your feelings from influencing decisions that need to be made logically."

"So how do you know when you should trust your instincts and follow your heart?" Alphonse asked, cutting in. It was a good question actually, Ed thought. He had been wondering something similar.

"When you have minimal doubts that what you're doing is the right and best course of action, regardless of whether or not it's the easiest, or the one you want to take." He sighed. "You got lucky today, Edward. That's all. It's just as likely that all three of you would have died in there, or that your 'friends' in there had backup and another plan for after you made them the Stone."

"I didn't even think of that," Ed admitted. No, he really hadn't been thinking. "And I said some awful things to Winry."

He was surprised when Hughes began to chuckle. "Why do I suspect that it's that guilt, most of all that will help you remember this lesson?"

Ed blushed, and Alphonse smiled for the first time since charging in to rescue his brother. Now that the adrenaline had run out, he was beginning to feel shaky, and a little nauseated truth be told.

"Are you okay, Brother?" Alphonse asked, turning to get a better look at him.

"Not feeling great," Ed admitted.

"I'm not surprised," Hughes nodded. "That much stress and excitement, the knock to the head," he actually smirked in the rear-view mirror. "Liquor on an empty stomach."

Ed glowered up at him, knowing he could be seen in the mirror. It was true, running high-emotions half the day and everything that had happened, he hadn't eaten since breakfast, and then he'd been dumb enough – and distracted enough to forget - to drink without food. "You're the one keeping the stuff in your house."

Hughes laughed. "Yeah, but that bottle's lasted for six months, and that includes sharing with guests. I'll bet you finished off the bottle didn't you?"

"Yes," Ed admitted, feeling more and more foolish. It had been a very humbling day so far.

In the reflection, he saw Hughes' expression go a little more sympathetic. "You've had a rough day. Let's get you inside and something on your stomach while we can."

"Thank you, Sir," Ed replied. He closed his eyes for the rest of the drive, and wondered if things could possibly get any worse.

That evening probably counted as worse, but only for Ed's insides. He ate a lot less dinner than usual, and went to bed early. He supposed he should just be grateful he'd made himself sick to his stomach instead of truly hung-over, his head hurt enough as it was from the blow, and his ego from the entire fiasco. His dreams that night were unpleasant; accusations of failure from the face of his mother, though he knew it was Sloth now, and could never be her.

After tossing and turning all night – and one brief silent run to the restroom where he managed to make it without emptying his stomach on Gracia's clean floors – Ed begged off getting up in the morning.

Alphonse took one look at him and sighed, a concerned look on his face. "You look awful."

"Thanks. That makes me feel better," Ed retorted, but his heart wasn't in it. He was tired, ill, and thoroughly depressed. He sighed and rolled back over. "I think I'm just going to stay home. Tell Mustang he can exact appropriate revenge on me tomorrow."

"Maybe someone should take a look at you," Alphonse suggested. "I mean, if you really feel that bad."

"I'm not going to die from embarrassment, Al," Ed sighed. He really didn't want to get poked and prodded again. He didn't like doctors when he was the patient.

"You look a little green," Alphonse countered. "I'll go talk to Gracia."

Before Ed could offer any kind of forceful objection, Alphonse was already gone.

Fortunately for Ed, Gracia seemed to agree with his assessment. "Well, no fever," she said after checking Ed's temperature a few minutes later. "But I wouldn't be expecting one. I heard someone sick in the bathroom last night though. That was you wasn't it?"

Ed nodded. He'd rather hoped that had gone unnoticed.

"Thought so. Dizzy at all when you sit up? Or nauseated?"

With a sigh, Ed nodded again. He'd propped himself up with pillows against the wall just so he wouldn't feel completely helpless, but it was taking a toll. Lying back down again seemed like a good idea.

Gracia stood up and nodded, ruffling Ed's hair gently with one hand. "Then it looks like a day off is definitely the best thing for you. If Roy wants to argue he can come down here and do it with me." She looked over at Alphonse. "And how are you feeling this morning?"

"Me?" Alphonse actually looked surprised. He shrugged and smiled. "I'm fine, thanks. A little stiff maybe."

Ed smirked. "Show off."

"Hey, it's your own fault," Alphonse commented, but his gentle smile took the sting out of his words. Ed knew his brother was just trying to taunt him in good fun.

"Yeah," Ed agreed, lying back down fully. "It is."

"I've got a tea downstairs that should help settle your stomach," Gracia offered as she headed for the door. "I'll see what I can find to eat that you might keep down." Then she was gone, closing the door behind her.

Alphonse smiled. "She reminds me of Mom."

Ed smiled. "Yeah. I think all good Moms are like that."

"I'm glad they let us stay here."

"Me too, Al."

Gracia brought tea and toast, as promised, though the jam that was on the side perked up Ed's appetite a little. At least, his stomach finally stopped warring between being hungry and upset at the same time. That and the tea soothed him, and Ed found himself dozing off again. He'd knocked his head as a kid enough times to know which symptoms were due to the blow he'd taken yesterday, minor as it seemed in perspective.

When he awoke again, Alphonse had already gone over to Headquarters with Hughes, and he was alone.

That was fine with him. After yesterday, Ed had a lot of thinking to do. He lay there, facing the wall away from the door. A couple of times, he heard the door creak open – Gracia checking on him he guessed – but she never interrupted, and he was grateful. It was kind of nice to know she was checking too; it was the kind of thing his mother would have done.

Much as it hurt, Ed made himself go over the events of the day before again in detail, logically, the way he should have the first time. With the information Al had given him about the conversation in Mustang's office 'after' Ed had stormed out, Mustang's version really did all make sense. Even though Ed had only been in the military a couple of weeks, he considered the necessity of following orders, and what soldiers were expected to do. He had known the State Alchemist's were the military's dogs; and dogs did what they were told, were kept on a leash. Dogs in the military were used to sniff things out, or attack. What had he expected them all to do in a situation like Ishbal? Rise up against the military? End up killing their own soldiers?

Ed had almost willingly killed the prisoners in Lab 5; did it make him any better just because they were going to die anyway? They were still people. Who was he to play executioner? After all, he was technically a criminal too under the laws of the State when it came to alchemy. Human Transmutation was as forbidden as it came. He was damned lucky Mustang had given him this opportunity instead of turning him in; as much as that truth rankled and made him want to grit his teeth.

He should have taken the information he had to Mustang. Really, once he knew where they were and what they wanted, he almost had. But Mustang was right; even if the homunculi had meant what they said about letting him have the Stone, it was still a trap. Once Ed was there, they probably wouldn't have let him go until he created the Stone; possibly not after either if they decided not to honor that deal. He'd charged right in, ignoring his own gut feeling that it was a bad idea. Emotions and ego; Ed had been so sure he could create the Stone – something very few alchemists had ever managed even if they knew how – and put everything right, and prove he was something; a hero maybe.

How self serving was that? He'd paid a very small price for those mistakes, he thought. At least so far. Chances were there would be some kind of official reprimand for his blatant disregard for orders, and disrespecting a superior officer that badly; this was the military after all. What hurt the most was how easily the homunculi had played him; fed him just enough information to make him jump the wrong way, left easy directions, and then Sloth had pulled the Mom card. He had studied; he had known homunculi weren't really the people they looked like, that they shouldn't be. Still, for his own hopes, he had decided to stay in willing denial on that, and had been willing to try anyway; to kill other people to get what he wanted.

What was he turning into anyway?

It wasn't a positive morning, but it was productive.

The door creaked open again, and Ed figured it must be Gracia, until he heard little footsteps on the floor. He shifted, and rolled over. It was Elicia. She paused, looking for all the world like a kitten caught on the kitchen counter.

Ed couldn't help chuckling. "Hello, Elicia."

When he wasn't upset, she smiled and relaxed. "Hello, Edward. Mommy said you were sick. So I came to make you all better."

She really was adorable. "And how are you planning to do that?" Ed asked.

"With these!" Elicia pulled out a book and a small stuffed dog from behind her back. She came over and hopped up on the bed. "When I'm sick, I hug Puppy and Mommy reads me this book. Then I'm all better, so I thought I'd read it to you!"

How could he say no? "All right," Ed smiled, propping himself up with the pillows again. He head still throbbed dully, but he didn't mind. Elicia settled in next to him and handed him the floppy little brown dog. "You hug Puppy, and I'll read," she smiled. Then she started.

It was really more of a joint venture. At four, Elicia could read, but there were a few words in the book she had chosen she didn't quite have down. It was just a fun little story about a girl and her puppy, and their adventures out in the country. It reminded Ed a little of home, in good ways.

A soft chuckle made him look up. Winry was standing in the doorway, watching them. "And here I thought I'd find you sulking by yourself."

"Yeah well," Ed smiled, a little embarrassed. "I was, but Elicia here had other plans." He ruffled her hair with one hand, and she giggled.

"Hey, Elicia," Winry crouched down. "Your Mom said she needs some help making lunch. You wanna go help her?"

"Sure," Elicia smiled. "We finished the book. You're all better now, right Edward?" she looked up at Ed with her big green eyes.

Ed chuckled. "You're a great doctor, Elicia. I feel a lot better."

"Thank you. I'm glad," Elicia hopped down. "You can keep Puppy for a while. I don't need him till bedtime." Then she scampered out the door.

"That's so sweet," Winry chuckled. "I have to say, Ed. I didn't expect to find you in bed with another girl."

Ed blushed so badly he could feel it from the top of his head right down his neck. "Winry!"

She grinned. "That's revenge for yesterday," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Ed sighed. "About that…I… I'm sorry for the things I said to you yesterday." He looked away, but stopped when her hand covered his. He looked back up. "For what I almost did to you."

She wasn't laughing now, but she didn't look angry either. "Oh please. Do you really think you could have forced me to do anything I didn't want to?" she asked. "You scared me, Ed. But not because of that. It was the rest of it… I didn't realize you felt that way about the future, about yourself." Her voice was soft. Her fingers curled around his hand, clenching a little tighter than probably really necessary.

Ed squeezed back. "I never wanted anyone to know," he admitted. "Especially Al. He'd feel guilty about it, and it's no one's fault but my own. I thought, maybe, this was a chance to make something of myself, to not feel like all the faith Al has in me, or you and Pinako, or…or Mom; to not feel like all that's been wasted."

He was surprised when Winry smiled gently. "When we were little, you and Al always talked about all the great things you were going to do with alchemy; all the people you were going to help, to make the world a better place. You especially; you were so sure of yourself, so determined. When your Mom died, and you went off to study with Izumi, I always figured you were both going to make good on that promise. I envied you for being so brave as to go out into the world and just do it, while I was still at home. I was pretty jealous really."

"Jealous?" Ed hadn't been expecting that. "But…you were already working on auto-mail."

Winry nodded. "I know, and Granny's one of the best teachers, but I knew even then I should go somewhere else for a while to learn as many different techniques as possible, and decide who I was as a designer, not just a mechanic. I felt like I was going to be left behind." She smiled, looking down at their intertwined hands. Ed followed her gaze. "Then, you came back without telling anyone, and the next thing I knew, Alphonse was running into our kitchen in the middle of a rainstorm, terrified, and everything was chaos, every second seemed like forever until we were at your house, and your leg was gone, and I was so scared you were going to bleed to death…" Her voice trembled.

Ed looked back up at her face. Slow tears worked their way down her cheeks. "I don't remember much about the time after Al ran off until I woke up in your house," he admitted. The pain had been excruciating, and time had lost any consistency or meaning. "All I know is I knew that I failed, and I was being punished for something I should never have done."

"You really weren't the same after that," Winry admitted. "I thought, if you had a little time and once you healed you'd be able to get back to normal."

"This is who I am, Winry," Ed sighed. He hated hearing the pain in her voice, seeing it on her face. He was becoming far too close a friend with guilt. "I just don't want to get to the end and find I've wasted my life and been left behind."

"You haven't done either," Winry objected. "You're only sixteen years old. Why be in such a rush to grow up and be important when we have all of our lives? You're supposed to enjoy life too."

Ed gave her a bemused look. "You're being awfully nice about all this."

Winry shrugged and smiled through the tears. "You're easier to deal with when I'm right."

"Oh, thanks," Ed found it odd that he found her reactions to him comforting. This wasn't the hormone-laden interactions of the past couple of months; just him and Winry, the way they used to be. This was the way he was comfortable with Winry. "Though this is easier for me too," he admitted.

"I'm glad," Winry said. "Cause you mean a lot to me, and I don't want to lose you because you're so afraid of losing control you won't come close anymore."

"Oh come on," Ed scoffed. "It's not that bad."

"Isn't it?" Winry asked. "When was the last time we had a good conversation on our own?"

"Well…" Not since she had arrived in Central. That hadn't involved kissing? "You've got a point."

Winry chuckled. "This 'is' us, Edward. It always has been. That doesn't have to change just because our feelings go deeper than they used to."

Ed felt awkward, so he alleviated some of that by smirking. "I don't know. I kind of like some of the changes."

Winry rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. That's all right, I like some of that too. I just hate that we've been so much like strangers."

"And a lot of that's my fault," Ed sighed. "I know I can trust you, but I'm not sure how much I can trust myself to stay in control. You saw what happened to me yesterday."

Winry's cheeks tinged with pink. "You're not the only one who enjoys those moments," she corrected, though she looked embarrassed to be admitting it. "But I think it will be easier for both of us if you just stop worrying so much."

Ed smirked. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say 'yes, Winry' and just admit that you're right isn't it?"

"It would be easiest," Winry chuckled. "I'd rather not have to beat sense into you. I'm pretty sure Gracia wouldn't appreciate the violence in her house."

"I most certainly wouldn't," Gracia said through the door. She opened it and entered, pushing the door open with her back. There was a tray in her hands with a glass and a bowl; from the bowl came an enchantingly familiar smell. "I hope I got the recipe right. Winry was kind enough to give it to me. I thought today would be the right time to give it a try."

"Smells perfect," Ed commented, bringing up a hand to wipe his mouth, hoping the girls wouldn't notice his drooling, and figuring it was already too late. Stew always smelled like home!

"Looks good too," Winry grinned as she peeked over the edge. Gracia set the tray down on the bedside table.

"Thanks," Gracia smiled. "I have a whole pot of it downstairs. I hope you're hungry, Edward."

"Careful," Winry laughed. "Or he'll take that as a challenge."

Ed tried to look offended, but in reality he was just relieved. "Not today," he smiled, reaching for the bowl and taking a spoonful immediately. Oh yeah. "It's great, Mrs. Hughes. Just like home."

"I'm glad," she smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am," Ed replied, a little surprised to find that he really did; mentally and emotionally anyway. "Some."

"Better than nothing," Gracia nodded. "Well, let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks."

When she was gone, Winry stood up as well. "I should go," she said regretfully. "I just… needed to talk, you know."

"Yeah," Ed smiled self-consciously. "I know. Thanks, Winry."

"What for?" she asked.

"For telling me what I needed to hear, and not just what I want to." He knew where they stood now, and he could figure out where to go from there.

Winry smiled back. "Anytime, Ed."

Winry left the room and headed downstairs into the kitchen. Gracia was there at the kitchen table, and Winry could see Elicia on the living room floor, busy with paper and crayons. Gracia looked up when she came in. "There's plenty of stew if you're hungry."

Winry smiled. She hadn't had lunch yet either. She'd been much more focused on talking to Edward before she lost her nerve. What he had said yesterday had hurt her, more than she had wanted to admit to Ed, but she had wanted to talk to him calmly. If they just kept yelling at each other, nothing would be resolved. Ed never opened up when he was defensive. She had learned that the hard way. "Sure."

"Have a seat." Gracia stood up and went over to the stove, serving up a bowl and bringing it back to the table as Winry sat down. "I kind of expected to see you over here today."

Winry's face flushed. "Ed mopes a lot when he's on his own," she replied. "And we've seen how productive that is." She didn't mean to sound sarcastic, or bitter, but she suspected it came out both.

"Men have a way of being at their most annoying when they try and be what they think we want them to be," Gracia smiled, sipping from a cup of tea. "Most have the time and luxury of stumbling through that without life-threatening experiences."

Winry tasted the stew. It really was like she made it at home. "Even Mr. Hughes?" she dared to ask.

"Even him," Gracia chuckled softly. "Though he's never been nearly as ambitious as Edward, or Roy Mustang. He never tried anything as drastic, or made those kinds of mistakes. Maes is careful; he thinks before he acts."

"Maybe he should give Ed lessons," Winry quipped.

"He's been trying," Gracia replied. "He sees a lot of potential in Edward; but he knows how self-destructive men like him can be as well."

"I can see that, if he's best friends with the Colonel," Winry agreed. The more she learned about the man, the more she could see the similarities between him and Edward; Strong minded, passionate, goal oriented men with good hearts.

Gracia nodded. "They don't like to lose, and they're harder on themselves than anyone else. It takes a lot of patience and love to keep them together."

Winry nodded. "I've noticed."

"You've been in love with him for a while, haven't you?" It wasn't really phrased as a question though.

Winry looked up from her bowl. "My whole life," she replied. "I mean, he and Al were both like brothers from the time we were all babies; I don't have a time in my life where they weren't a part of it. By the time I realized my feelings for Ed were different, I suspect they'd been going that way for a long time."

"I know it may not seem like it," Gracia said. "Especially with recent events, but there's no rush; let your relationship develop naturally at its own pace and don't worry about timing. It's rushing that complicates things most."

Winry's mouth quirked into a wry smile. "Granny said something similar but she was a little more… blunt about it."

Gracia laughed. "I can imagine. Though, I hope you don't mind our intrusion in these things; Maes and I I mean."

"Oh no," Winry objected. "Actually, I really appreciate what you've said, and what Mr. Hughes had said. Granny's given me a lot of good advice over the years, but she's not the same as my Mom and Dad, you know? I always wonder what they would tell me if I could ask them my questions." She looked up. "Their answers would probably be a lot like yours. Thank you."

"Thank you," Gracia replied. "That's quite a compliment. Please, just call me Gracia. I'm not quite old enough to be your mother."

"All right," Winry chuckled. "I'm just glad you don't mind my questions!"

"Not at all," Gracia assured her. "I hate to see anyone go through hard times. If I can help, I'm glad."

"Does the fear ever go away?" Winry asked while she had the nerve. "I mean, the fear of losing anyone else?"

Gracia's expression softened. "Not entirely," she admitted. "We lost a lot of friends during the Eastern Rebellion. So many good people never came back. Maes always tries to be positive, but he worries a lot about everyone he cares about and he tries to do all that he can to make their lives easier, a little brighter."

Winry smiled. "He's good at that. Alphonse tries to be that way, especially for Ed." She finished the last few bites of stew. "Ed used to confide in me. He used to talk to Alphonse more too. Today was, the first time in a long time we've really talked."

"Then that's progress," Gracia smiled. "Sometimes it takes a serious shaking-up to get people thinking about what's really important; especially with the thick-headed ones."

Winry stood up, and took her bowl to the sink. "That's Edward all right! Thank you very much for the advice, Gracia. I should go though. The auto-mail mechanic who sees to day to day repairs at headquarters said I could have a go at it this afternoon. I don't want to be late."

"Wonderful," Gracia replied. "I'm sure the boys over there will enjoy the change."

"Is he rough or something?" Winry asked as she turned out. The man seemed nice enough.

Gracia chuckled. "Oh no, he's very good at his work; but given the choice between him and a pretty girl, who do you think those boys would choose?"

Winry blushed, but chuckled. She hadn't really considered that. She held her head up high and grinned. "Then I'll have to make sure Edward hears all about it later."

Maybe a little imagined competition would do him some good. Though it would certainly be imagined on his part; Winry knew where her heart lay, and that wasn't ever going to change.

Ed was back to work the next day. Other than the small bandage over his right eye, he was visually undamaged, and he could walk around and function without getting dizzy or nauseous. He still had a mild headache, and he was a little stiff, but he could deal with that. He was silently dreading what 'fitting' retribution Mustang had for him after the disaster two days ago.

When he and Alphonse arrived though, Mustang was not in the office.

"He's in a meeting with General Hakuro," Havoc informed them with a shrug. "There's a few reports he wants you to go over, Edward" he gestured to one of the desks.

"Alphonse, he'd like you to familiarize yourself with the material over here," he pointed to another small stack.

"Sure thing," Alphonse went over and sat down.

Ed shrugged and strolled over to see what Mustang had assigned him. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the most anal, boring paperwork ever. He paused though, grinning at the large open box in the middle of the desks. "Hey, Donuts!"

"Help yourself," Breda chuckled, a donut in hand already as he worked. There was already a reasonable dent in the box.

"Thanks. Don't mind if I do," Ed grabbed one as he picked up the first document on top of the pile. Yeah, pretty boring stuff all right. At least on top. Ed looked down through the list and found something much more interesting. After the first few rather ordinary files, there was a thick stack of reports on the results of experiments in the Central Alchemical Laboratories over the past several years, including Lab 5. Those were some pretty unusual records in comparison to the others, Ed had to admit. Soon he had all five sets out and was making comparisons based on time, type of research, and overall output.

"Hey, slow up there, Chief," Havoc chuckled wryly a little bit later. "Or you'll be giving Breda a run for his money in the weight department."

"Huh?" Ed looked up, momentarily confused.

"What? Hey!" Breda's exclamation made Ed turn and look down. The donut box was empty.

Oops. Ed rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Sorry about that. I was distracted."

"You're inhuman," Breda groaned, looking mildly disbelieving.

Alphonse peaked up over his stack of papers. "Sorry. I'll make sure to feed him more before work tomorrow."

"Hey," Ed glared at his brother. He wasn't a dog! It wasn't his fault he hadn't eaten much the day before!

"Relax, Breda," Havoc grinned. "He probably just saved you a little pain our next physical."

"Yeah sure," Breda snorted. "Just watch it next time okay?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "Hey, I said I was sorry. You want them, eat them first next time."

Breda eyed him speculatively. "Is that a challenge, Elric?"

Ed grinned sadistically. "Oh yeah."

"Oh, Brother…" Alphonse groaned.

At that moment the door slammed open, and a glowering Mustang strode into the room, Hawkeye, Falman, and Feury behind him looking harried.

"What did the General want, Colonel?" Havoc asked, standing up.

Ed watched Mustang stride over to his desk, spin, and drop dramatically into his chair. He was still scowling. "I've been promoted."

That was all? "So why the long face? Isn't that what you've been after?" Ed asked with a sardonic grin.

Mustang's dark expression only deepened. "Because it's all your fault, Fullmetal."

"My fault?" Ed's temper flared. "What's your problem anyway?"

"This, Edward," Hawkeye thrust a piece of paper in front of his eyes before he could move. It was a top priority memo.

Ed stepped back and scanned it. What? "Since when are we at war with Drachma?"

"Since about six o'clock in the evening two days ago," Mustang was still glaring at him directly. "Bradley knows we're on to him and his homunculi thanks to you and your little stunt the other day. Armstrong and I have both been given promotions and command over the front lines in a 'defensive measure' along the Drachman border. Everyone on my staff is 'encouraged' to go with me," he paused then, and sighed. "Except for the two of you."

Ed didn't have to ask what he meant. "If he knows, why not send off me and Alphonse too?"

Mustang sighed. "To separate us, no doubt, though Hakuro says he and Bradley just wouldn't feel right about sending inexperienced boys out on the front lines; for your own safety of course." His tone said clearly what he thought of that!

"Wouldn't it make more sense to get rid of all of us?" Alphonse asked.

Roy shook his head. "It would be a little obvious, and suspicious, to ship every one of us off. Besides, it's easier to have only a few of us die in any kinds of 'accidents' on the lines. Though I suppose they could always just blow the place and make it look like a tragedy of war."

Alphonse blanched, and Ed frowned. "Leaving the 'inexperienced boys' supposedly safer, but really completely unprotected."

Mustang nodded. "Precisely."

"But what does this mean?" Alphonse asked. "I mean, what do we do? And what's going to happen?"

"That is something best discussed elsewhere," Mustang replied flatly. He looked speculatively up at Havoc. "But I think I have an idea."

The rest of the day was excrutiatingly slow. Other than to inform them that Hughes had invited Roy and the office to his house for dinner to 'celebrate' Mustang and Armstrong's promotions, he behaved as normal, as did the rest of the office. Meetings remained as scheduled, paperwork went in and out in hectic fashion, and outwardly, everything seemed completely normal.

Ed was too clever not to know that was precisely the idea. Still, the waiting irked him. He spent most of the day buried in the paperwork Mustang had assigned for him to read through, aside from a couple of office related errands. Alphonse was also busy reading; what, Ed didn't know, and sent off on several errands. At the worst, Ed figured, news of Mustang's promotion would spread around; these things often did, and people would think maybe he was just being a little egotistical, sending Majors to do his work instead of Lieutenants. Ed groused and scowled and was generally himself, which was fine, since no one expected him to like being an errand boy!

Ed also kept his eyes and ears open during those runs; anything could be potentially useful later! He did hear a few grumbles about Mustang's promotion, and did his best to take notice of faces and ranks – names if he had learned them – of who liked it, and who didn't, as well as any details on what people were being told about mobilizing against Drachma. None of the soldiers seemed to know much really, and many sounded surprised and grim. A few claimed to have seen it coming, but Ed was pretty sure it was bravado on their parts. Still, it was interesting to get the feel of a military about to go to war; frankly the idea scared him. He really had never witnessed a war; the last one had taken a lot from those he loved, but he had never been aware of what really happened. Ed realized he had honestly not expected war to come again in his lifetime; talk about short sighted!

Dinner that evening was an interesting affair; despite the fact it had been called a celebration – mostly to throw off suspicion – it was relatively subdued. Everyone there knew what was really going on, and the Hughes house was actually a little crowded; with the Hughes', Edward and Alphonse, Winry, Mustang, Armstrong, Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Falman, and Feury. Gracia had, much to Ed's amazement, managed a good dinner for that many by the time everyone started arriving at the house later that evening. There was plenty of food to go around.

When everyone had eaten, Gracia excused herself and took Elicia up to bed, with a worried glance and a kiss for Maes before disappearing.

Winry chose to stay with the rest of them.

"You don't have to be part of this, Winry," Ed said. He had hoped she would go upstairs with Gracia. If she didn't know, than she had an alibi; she'd be safer. He felt a little awkward having the conversation with the other guys around though.

Winry shook her head. "I already know too much right? I might as well know everything. Besides," she added, "I'm not exactly incapable." To make the point, she whipped a set of very small tools out of seemingly nowhere.

"She has a point," Alphonse sighed. Apparently he had hoped she would stay out of things too.

"Now that that's settled," Mustang smirked, though he didn't seem amused, "We don't have a lot of time."

"That's an understatement," Hawkeye said sarcastically. "So who exactly is getting shipped out tomorrow?" she asked. Apparently, for once, she didn't know everything Mustang did already. She looked around; everyone should have received orders.

Slowly hands went up; Mustang, Armstrong, Hawkeye herself, Breda, and Falman.

"I was reassigned to General Hakuro's personal staff," Feury looked depressed.

"Me too," Havoc sighed, leaning back against the wall. "It's a lousy situation."

"Boys?" Mustang looked over at Edward and Alphonse.

Ed and Alphonse nodded in unison. "Hakuro."

"They've split us," Breda was scowling.

"Dividing the enemy," Hughes nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration as he thought. Being Investigations, this technically didn't change. "Bradley's expecting something. It's still odd that he would leave the most competent officers together if he wants to take any of you out; though he can't be too obvious about it."

Mustang nodded. "If he split us up too much, it would look very suspicious."

"What can we do about it?" Armstrong asked. "There must be something."

"Bradley's got to be planning something while you're out of the way," Hughes nodded. "If he and the homunculus are that desperate for a Philosopher's Stone, he might be planning to come at Edward again, or Alphonse, perhaps with a different ploy, or much more directly."

"We'd never help him!" Alphonse objected firmly, and Ed was touched to hear his brother include him in that statement.

"We know, Alphonse," Hughes smiled; he had clearly caught Alphonse's defense of his brother as well. "But there are ways to force people to do things. They could be meaning to go straight for the more atrocious options at this point; torture you, or threaten to torture the other as a means of coercion. This is the military who ordered the massacre in Ishbal remember; they won't be kind just because you're still young." He didn't call them children, Ed noted, and he included Winry in his glance. Ed looked over at her; she looked pale.

"Then we've got to figure out what's going on and stop them before it's too late," Ed said, feeling determination rise within him. He wasn't going to be played again, and he wasn't going to let the …things, that had done so get away with hurting anyone else. He had to stop them; he had to deal with Sloth.

"That means acting fast, and making ourselves a little time," Mustang nodded; Ed could almost see his brain in high gear. "As well as making sure the plan is as fool proof as possible and, unfortunately, that everyone knows only what they need to in order to pull this off without stumbling over everyone else or interfering." He looked over at Havoc and smirked. "So, Jean, I hear you do a mean impersonation of me?"

Havoc looked like he might break out in sweat for a moment. "Ye..yes, Sir?"

"Good," Mustang smirked. "We need to have a little talk."

Ed could only describe most of the rest of the evening as strange. There were a lot of short meetings between Mustang and various members of the staff, and a lot of side conversations and cross-referencing going on. It was kind of like work at the office, only pitched differently; everyone was more alert, more focused. This was life or death; this was preparation for battle, even if they weren't all planning to go in shooting.

Mustang had set up 'shop' as it were, in the small sitting room off Hughes' living room. Eventually, Ed found himself, Alphonse, and even Winry, called in to talk to him as well.

"Why me?" Winry asked as they sat down.

"I figured it would save time having Edward relay it all later," Mustang shrugged. "Besides, you might actually be useful."

"Gee, thanks," Winry quipped, but nodded.

Ed didn't feel like arguing, even if it irked him that Mustang had assumed Ed would have told Winry everything. In truth, he probably would have, but that was beside the point! "I'm assuming that means you have ideas."

"More like orders," Mustang scowled. "And this time, Edward, I expect you to follow them."

Ed bristled, but bit back his reaction to go off on Mustang.

"What are they?" Alphonse asked instead.

"I want the two of you to find the location of the homunculi's current hide-out, for lack of a better word. After what happened at Lab 5, I doubt they'll leave themselves vulnerable again, even with Bradley on their side. Oh, one other thing," he pulled what looked like a picture out of his pocket and held it up. "Does she look familiar?"

Ed took the picture from Mustang's hand and stopped cold, eyes going wide. He heard Alphonse shift to look over his shoulder, and a gasp behind his ear. Ed just nodded and handed it back, looking away. "That's Sloth," he said quietly.

"That, is the Fuhrer's Secretary," Mustang replied. "Not that we needed further proof of his involvement. But that means you should be able to track her. While the Fuhrer is often guarded, his Secretary is not."

"You want us to follow M…umm, Sloth?" Alphonse asked.

Ed caught the slip. His brother had almost said 'Mom.' "Follow her to find their hide out; all right. Then what?"

"I want you to find out how many homunculi we're dealing with, and if Bradley really is their leader, or just another pawn in whatever's going on," Mustang replied. "Also, their strengths, weaknesses, abilities; anything we can use to defeat them. If we can avoid a direct confrontation, all the better but…I really doubt that's going to happen."

"So not a tall order or anything?" Ed snorted.

"Nope, pretty short really," Mustang replied flatly; his eyes daring Ed to react.

Ed bit his own tongue.

"What will we do afterwards?" Alphonse spoke up again.

"Report everything back to me," Mustang replied.

"But..how?" Alphonse frowned in confusion. "Won't you be in Drachma?"

Mustang shook his head just slightly, and grinned conspiratorially. "That's what Bradley and Hakuro will think. I've made some arrangements. You'll report anything you need to 'Havoc.'"

"Oh."

Ed nodded at the same time Alphonse did. Whatever Mustang was planning, Ed guessed it involved a switch, based on his earlier question to Havoc, and some serious deception. Ed smirked. "Isn't this a little unethical, Brigadier General Mustang?" He lengthened the last three words to accent them; his new rank. "You know it could kill your shot at Fuhrer right?"

"If that's what it takes to save the State," Mustang replied. "Then so be it."

Wow. He really was serious. "What will you be doing while you're 'not' up on the border?" Ed asked.

Mustang's face was grim. "Taking out the public part of our problem."

Alphonse gasped. "Bradley?"

Mustang nodded.

"But you could be imprisoned for that, or executed if they catch you," Winry objected, honestly worried.

Mustang didn't look fazed; this was obviously something he was well aware of. Ed wouldn't have expected otherwise. "If they do," he nodded. "Then I'll take it. At least then I'm doing what's necessary to fix the State, instead of being pawn and part of the problem."

Ed was surprised to understand Mustang's motivations so clearly; it went unsaid, but even Mustang was paying for past Sins, for actions committed when he knew they were wrong. It gave him pause.

"We'll find them, General," Alphonse nodded. "How long do we have do get the information?"

"Three days," Mustang replied flatly. "Bradley has something scheduled then that will make him a non-moving target long enough for me to do what needs doing, but we'll need to have the plan moving by then, or we have no hope of stopping them before they find out and retaliate. We'll need to move immediately afterwards."

Ed swallowed; his throat and mouth had gone completely dry. "That's not much time." It wasn't a complaint, merely a statement.

Mustang nodded. "It's all we've got."

At the end of the evening, they were all gathered back in the living room. Gracia had come back downstairs which, at least to Ed, signaled that the 'top secret' discussions were over. Everyone seemed more focused now, with a purpose; nervous, but less unsure.

Gracia came around with glasses of dark red wine, handing them out to everyone in the room. When she got to Ed and Alphonse and Winry, there were three left. Ed hesitated, but she winked at him. Surprised, he took a glass; as did his brother and Winry. Ed held it still, and sniffed ever so slightly.

Grape juice. He suspected the other two glasses held the same, and couldn't help but smile just a little. It saved face, and coming from Gracia, it felt like a favor instead of a reminder that they were still technically kids. No one was treating them like it now; a testament to the seriousness of the situation, as well as how much they were now a part of it.

Ed expected Mustang to lead the toast, but it was Hughes who stood up. He was grinning, though not the goofy expression he often adopted. "Well, we all know Roy here's been after this for a while, and it looks like being his friend can pay off to," he winked at Armstrong. "We have two friends who've received well earned promotions, whatever the circumstances. Whatever happens tomorrow, and after, today we're together; today we're alive. So tonight, we celebrate." He held up his glass. "To family, friends, and Duty."

As Ed joined the others in the toast, he felt a completely unexpected surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him; fear, hope, loyalty, dread, acceptance, and a dozen other emotions that he couldn't completely identify. Maybe he had found what he was looking for; if so, he didn't want to lose it now.

Three days wasn't a lot of time. It also turned out to be a little more difficult to tail 'Juliet Douglas' home than they expected. She worked odd hours, and not being obvious about staying late or something was a little more difficult when they were assigned to General Hakuro's personal staff instead of Mustang. Hakuro kept a sharp eye on the boys, and so often it was Winry who did her best to keep an eye on things. Though, while she had been welcome in Mustang's office, being Ed's automail mechanic and well, stubborn, they decided it was best if Hakuro noticed her as little as possible.

It wasn't until the second evening that they managed to follow her to an abandoned old church. Edward, Alphonse, and Winry spent the entire night staked out at different spots around the building to see if she came out; but figured they had the right spot when Lust and Envy were both seen coming and going as well, and another homunculi with Lust that they heard her call Gluttony. They talked about their Master and going to talk to her.

None of them had gotten any sleep, but Edward passed off his tiredness – when questioned by others of Hakuro's staff later that morning – by insinuating he'd been, preoccupied, and just hoped Winry wouldn't kill him later if she ever found out! Alphonse somehow managed to look as bright eyed and eager as ever.

"How're you doing that?" Ed asked quietly in a private moment during lunch. "I'm completely bushed."

"Fear," Alphonse replied with a shrug and a grin.

"Well stop it," Ed grumbled as he dug in. "You're making me more tired just looking at you."

Alphonse just chuckled.

That afternoon, when they got off work, they reported to Havoc's apartment, where Mustang was covertly still in town; apparently Havoc's Mustang impression really was excellent, and there had been a well played off 'incident' involving Havoc and Feury supposedly 'celebrating' their boss' promotion a little too exuberantly and getting into an accident. Only Mustang and Hawkeye were the ones who were still in town, and Havoc and Feury were now on their way to the Drachma border in disguise.

"So that's what we know," Edward finished summarizing it as they sat around Havoc's little dining table.

Mustang nodded thoughtfully. "And Bradley went home as usual last night, and you never saw him."

Alphonse shook his head. "Nope. He definitely didn't come or go from there last night."

"And you heard the one called Lust refer to their Master in the feminine, which means whoever it is, she isn't likely Bradley."

"I hope not," Hawkeye said drolly.

Mustang was still thinking. "Lust, Envy, Sloth, and now Gluttony. A definite pattern."

"How so?" Ed asked.

Hawkeye shrugged. "Hundreds of years ago, that church you saw was one dedicated to one God. There's not a following for it anymore, but they believed that there were seven truly deadly sins."

"Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Greed, Wrath, and Pride," Mustang nodded. "If we have four for certain, it stands to reason there are likely three others."

"And Bradley is one of them," Ed frowned. "So that leaves two unaccounted for."

"And the identity of their real leader," Winry added. "Whoever she is, she'd have to be pretty powerful to control them right?"

"Or at least have something they want, or their actual loyalty," Mustang pondered. "She may have created them."

"Some, anyway," Ed sighed. "But if others have tried Human Transmutation, and we know they have, it's possible she's been, what, collecting them?"

"Taking them in, like lost puppies," Hawkeye sighed. "Taking care of them."

"When they really should have been disposed of," Mustang scowled. "Though that's pretty difficult to do."

"Yeah, or we'd have finished this by now," Ed sighed. He really felt like they should have had more information by now. "What about on your end?"

"The plan is in place for tonight," Mustang nodded. "Hopefully it will be in, out, and we'll be joining you for the rest of the operation before anyone knows Bradley's been disposed of."

"Even if we don't know what we're getting into?" Alphonse asked.

Mustang shrugged. "We may not have a choice. Not unless you can manage to find out what they are capable of in the next few hours."

They knew what weakened homunculi, but they hardly had the remains of that many dead people, nor the time to get them. It was by luck only that Ed had something that he could use as ammunition against Sloth. It would help if they knew what they were capable of in a fight. "We'll get it," Ed replied grimly. "We have to."


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Part 6

They staked out the homunculi's 'hideout' three hours before Mustang was supposed to start his part of things. If they were early, hopefully they could find out something useful before they had to take the enemy on. Ed really didn't like the idea of going in there completely blind.

"All right, let's go," he said, when he was sure no one was around.

He, Alphonse, and Winry snuck quietly in through the door. A quick exploration though, proved that the entire building was abandoned.

"What now?" Winry asked quietly as they stood in the Sanctuary.

"Not sure," Ed admitted, frustrated. They had been coming in and out of here! "Maybe there's a hidden door somewhere we're missing."

From the hall came the sound of footsteps running; two pairs.

Ed didn't have to make the suggestion; every one of them dove behind the pews. From where he lay, Ed could see feet come running in, and hear voices. "What do you mean he's down there?" Ed recognized Envy's voice.

"He is!" came a young, more boyish voice. "Hohenheim is talking to our Master!"

"That bastard," Envy cursed. Ed heard stone sliding, the sound of descending footsteps, and then the sound of stone closing again.

When they were gone, Ed heard Winry start to breathe again behind him, and Alphonse next to him exhaling in relief.

"Did he say Hohenheim?" Ed asked Alphonse in a frantic whisper, wondering if he'd heard right.

"He did, Brother," Alphonse nodded.

"Let's go down after them," Ed whispered as they all stood up. He knew where the door was now.

"No, Ed," Winry shook her head. "We should just take what we know now back to Mustang. Going in there on our own is dangerous."

Ed looked back at her. She wasn't going to thank him for this later. "I meant me and Alphonse."

"What?" Winry looked disbelieving a moment; then her expression changed to anger. Ed had been expecting it. "You can't be serious! I won't be left behind!"

"And I'm not going to let you come," Ed countered, turning to face her. He wasn't going to budge on this. "Please, Winry. If you come with me….I'm not going to be able to do what I have to do."

"What do you mean?" Winry asked.

"A State Alchemist's duty," Ed replied, hard and quiet. He could bring himself to out and out tell Winry he was going in there expecting to kill people…well, living beings anyway.

"You're just supposed to get information, Edward," Winry replied, clearly shaken, but too stubborn to back down. "Not try and take them all on yourself."

"I won't be by myself," Ed replied, flashing a cocky grin to cover his unease. "I'll have Al."

"That's not what I mean and you know it!" Winry replied, tearing up with emotion.

darn it, they were running out of time. Ed grabbed her hands. "Winry. I made a promise to you, and to myself, that I was going to fix things, and that includes me. This is what I have to do. This is why we're here in the first place; what I came to Central for."

"To risk your life?" Winry glared at him.

Ed shook his head; he wasn't angry now, but fatalistically sure. "Redemption."

Winry looked skeptical. "You don't even believe anymore. You expect me to believe that?"

"Not from any God," Ed shook his head. "In here," he tapped his chest with his other hand. "And…because Mustang's right."

Winry's mouth opened, but apparently that admission had rendered her speechless. She blinked, and then shook her head. "It's too dangerous, Ed!"

"I promise, Winry," the words came out in barely a whisper. "I'm going to win this, and fix everything; and I'm going to come back to you. This may not end up being a fight," he shrugged, forcing as convincing a grin as he could manage. "And then you can feel silly for weeping over nothing, and we can have a good laugh. But I need to see for sure what's down there. I'll take care of Al, and we'll both come back."

"I still don't like it," Winry replied.

"Keep guard up here," Ed said in a flash of inspiration. "That way no one sneaks in behind us; no surprises."

Winry was still clearly angry, but she nodded. "Fine. But you'd better keep your promise, Edward."

"Count on it." Ed turned, and walked over to the large stone pulpit where the sounds had come from. It had to be a trick door. But really, he knew a better way in. He clapped his hands together and held them to the stone, creating his own door with alchemy. "Let's good moving, Al. I want to know what that bastard's doing here too."

He and Alphonse descended slowly at first, then more quickly as they didn't hear the the homunculi ahead of them. Apparently they really had run all the way down! It was a strange place, with the murals, mosaics, and strange figures carved in. When they came out Ed stared around in amazement. There was an entire city under here!

"Look at that," Alphonse pointed at the city. Embedded in it, despite the rubble and destruction, were the clear lines of a giant transmutation circle.

Ed nodded, his scowl deepening. "Someone used this city…. Want to be they tried to make a Philosopher's Stone?"

"Or succeeded," Alphonse swallowed. "A long time ago, look at those buildings."

Ed was scanning the area below them. "There they are," he spotted the two homunculi, running fast into an old palace looking building in the middle of the destruction. "Let's go."

They picked up the pace again, running too now that they knew they could without likely being seen; at least not by the two they were following. The little one looked a bit like Envy, but smaller, with a boy's face and body. Much younger then; perhaps a failed attempt to bring back a child?

"Do you think that's Teacher's kid?" Alphonse asked hesitantly between breaths as they ran.

Ed nodded. "I think it must be." Poor Izumi. It was a good thing she wasn't here, Ed thought. He could save her the pain of having to deal with this.

They slowed up only a little as they reached the building, ducking inside and then proceeding more slowly. They could hear voices coming from elsewhere. Peeking through the door, Ed saw that it entered a huge ballroom. There he was! Hohenheim stood in the middle, talking to a younger woman who seemed to find his father aggravating and amusing at the same time. What was going on here? He started to move forward.

"Wait," Alphonse said very softly, putting a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Listen."

Ed paused, and listened to the words echoing across the empty expanse. What he heard, as the woman –Dante apparently- explained things to the Homunculi, and confronted Hohenheim about the past…was fascinating and almost unbelievable. Four hundred years old? Jumping bodies with the power of the Stone? Immortality; or at least, a cheap imitation. Very cheap, he learned quickly. "Unbelievable," he whispered softly.

In the edge of his peripheral vision, Ed saw Alphonse nod, looking just as stunned. "What should we do?"

As Ed considered the answer to that question, the scene in front of them evolved, and then exploded into chaos. Dante was explaining something about how the Gate worked…then suddenly, there was an eruption of noise and what looked like another homunculus stormed onto the scene. He had short, spiky hair and a nasty attitude. Hohenheim took that moment to attack Dante with alchemy, shouting that it had to stop. Envy charged him as the other male homunculus tackled Lust.

Hohenheim yanked something off of Dante and flung it at the Homunculus as he and Dante sparred. "Greed here!"

So that was Greed, and he was working with Hohenheim…against this Dante person? Well, that was perplexing! If potentially good for them! The added chaos meant that they might be able to do this; and it looked like some of them might be taken completely out before Mustang got there. A surprise attack would definitely be possible if there was anyone left!

If nothing else, they were getting a very good idea of what the homunculi could do; Lust's fingers looked potentially problematic as they shot out long and lanced, but Greed dodged them, and one broke off as it hit him; his skin was apparently impenetrable as far as Ed could tell. The boy and Sloth were nowhere in sight, neither was Gluttony. That was a little more problematic.

Suddenly the tide of battle shifted, Dante broke away from Hohenheim, grabbed a baby up from a young woman sitting quietly in the corner – very odd, Ed thought, now that he noticed her – and laughing, did something with Alchemy as the baby wailed….

"The Gate!" Alphonse gasped, as just that sprung into existence. Ed watched as the same horrifying black tendrils he remembered reached out for Hohenheim.

Ah hell. "This isn't good, we-"

"Dad!"

"Alphonse, wait no!" But Ed was too late, Alphonse was charging forward his hands already going together and then extending out in front of him as he gathered the ambient electricity in the air and attacked Dante.

darn in! Ed charged in after his brother, clapping his hands together hard as he ran. He didn't much care what happened to the old man, but he wouldn't let anything happen to his little brother!

Greed wasn't helping Hohenheim; in fact, he almost didn't seem to notice as Ed sped by; he had wrapped a locket, Ed now saw, around her and she had frozen completely stiff. In the middle of the floor was a transmutation circle that Ed wasn't immediately familiar with, though it seemed familiar in some elements.

Alphonse slammed into Dante as Hohenheim was listed from the ground. She gasped, and stumbled, dropping the child back into its mother's arms as they went down. "How dare you!" she growled, getting up and attacking Alphonse with alchemy as well, a violent shot of electricity that made Al dodge, bringing up a wall of marble made from the floor.

Ed snagged a torch pole as he skidded into the room, transmuting it into a nasty boar-spear style weapon. "Leave him alone!" he yelled, attacking, but he felt something wrap around him as he lunged, and he slammed stomach first into the floor, the air knocked from him momentarily. "What the hell!" he gasped, spinning to see a liquid form solidify above him; and that painfully familiar face of Sloth, looking annoyed. "Is that any way to behave, Edward?"

"Stop pulling that Mom crap!" Ed shouted, thrusting the spear into her body.

She gasped, then liquefied, and moved sideways, resolidifying. "It takes more than that to kill me."

"Leave her alone!" the boy homunculus yelled, charging up behind her. "Leave my mommy alone!"

"Not a chance, kid," Ed snorted. "You're nuts. She's nobody's mother!"

"Dad!"

Ed tried not to be distracted by his brother's heart-broken wail, but the Gate slammed shut and Hohenheim was gone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one very small box, wrapped tightly shut. "I know your weakness; the remains of the one you were supposed to be." He'd never told anyone, not even Al, that he'd taken a lock of their mother's hair. He'd kept it all this time, as a way of remembering. "And now I don't have any compunction not to use it."

"No!" the boy homunculus charged past Sloth, lunging at Ed with a snarl. Ed dodged, the weapon little good when the boy closed ranged too quickly. He blocked with the haft, but the box slipped from his fingers.

"Hah, got it!" The boy grabbed it, and – as Ed watched, horrified – absorbed it into his body.

"How'd you do that?" he gaped.

"Talent," the boy smirked. "You can't hurt her now."

"Get out of the way, Wrath," Sloth spoke up. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Behind him, Ed heard Envy tackle Greed and squabbling break out as the two fought; and Alphonse still battling Dante. This was a mess; a complete fiasco already. And it was just the two of them – and Greed apparently – against the rest; lousy odds on any day.

Alphonse blocked and attacked again, frantically doing his best to survive as Edward faced off against the boy and the one who looked like their mother. Alphonse avoided looking at her. Every time he did, he wanted to cry and run to her – a bad reaction given he knew her real nature. Besides, Dante took all of his attention to survive.

"You truly are a son of Hohenheim," Dante chuckled as she blocked him easily enough. "You could stop this foolishness, you know. Make a stone for me, and I'll show you how to use it; you could have power, wealth, respect…."

"I have everything I need thank you very much!" Alphonse yelled back, his voice squeaking just slightly. He dodged behind one of the pillars. As he peaked around, he saw the young homunculus fighting with Edward, and arguing. Then he and Edward and Sloth were in a three-way fur ball that was just messy. Edward was striking, but he wasn't doing permanent damage. This was bad.

On the other side, he saw Greed had paralyzed Lust, and she was down, however temporarily, while he battled with Envy. Alphonse swallowed, closed his eyes, and spun around, attacking Dante again. This had to end! They were badly outnumbered, and today did not seem like a good day to die!

He heard a wail as he did so, and could just see Wrath, now inter-twined with Sloth, but Sloth was changing, turning into something vaporous, he couldn't tell what from the distance, but she was evaporating!

There was a solid thunk as stone slammed into his chest, and Alphonse went down, rolled, and came back up gasping. He had gotten distracted. He couldn't afford that.

"Kid!" The homunculus, Greed, was yelling at him. "The circle! It binds and destroys homunculi!"

Alphonse dodged another attack, and blinked. Lust was stuck in that circle. "Thanks," he called, dodging away, making his way as fast as he could in that direction even as he tried not to die! He stumbled, rolled away from a blast of energy and felt himself slam into the floor, hands out. They landed on the circle and Alphonse transmuted….

"Leave him alone!" he heard Edward almost above him, and looked up to see Edward and Envy careening over his head. Greed and Dante sounded like they were in combat now as Alphonse watched Lust begin to change. He closed his eyes; he couldn't watch. The battle raged around him, and when he opened his eyes several seconds later, Lust was gone.

Edward tried to stab Envy as he trapped him briefly under him, but found himself flipped and caught in a violent flurry of rolling punches and kicks. It was a fierce fight, though he had no idea yet what Envy's actual 'powers' were otherwise.

"He killed Mommy!" he heard yowling from Wrath and caught a glimpse of the boy trying to cling to Dante as she tried an alchemical attack on Greed. It was a giant 'creature' made of the stone of the earth. Creative, but ugly.

"Get away Wrath! She wasn't your mother," Dante sounded annoyed. She zapped him shortly herself, and the boy tumbled and skidded across the floor, landing unconscious.

"Your Master doesn't seem big on loyalty," Ed grunted at Envy as they beat on each other.

"Like I care," Envy smirked, throwing a punch at Ed's face that he barely dodged with a twist of his neck. "I'm in this for me."

"That makes two of us," Ed growled, landing a punch on Envy's face. He didn't have a close in weapon on hand, or time to transmute one. He grunted as Envy got his leg under him and shoved Ed up, breaking out of the hold and they both rolled up onto their fit. That was better really, Ed spun in with a kick that Envy dodged, and they started in on a fight full of flips and dodging and hits that was much more his style.

"Where's Lust?" the creepy, rather high-pitched male voice of Gluttony bellowed as he charged into the room.

"Dead," Dante snarled as Greed attacked her. "Get them, Gluttony!"

"But Lust!" he cried, almost pitiful. "My Lust!"

"Damn it," Dante spun and yanked Gluttony's tongue out of his mouth, planting her fingers on the tattoo there…. Ed heard a snarl as something changed. "I said get them!"

Ed dodged Envy and spun, catching sight again of Gluttony, his eyes gone feral, slobber coursing from his mouth. It was disgusting and terrifying at the same time. Ed grabbed Envy's foot, flipped him, and then found himself jumping fast as Envy grabbed for his ankles. It was a more intense fight than he had ever had before, and it was hard to stay focused with everything going on at once!

Gluttony lunged at Greed, but Ed saw Alphonse getting up, and sending an attack at Dante, who dodged it, and laughed. "Not bad, little man. You're as irritating as your father! Well then, why don't you join him!" she grabbed the child again, and once more there was a flare of alchemy from the corner, and the Gate reappeared.

"Alphonse, no!" Ed tried to break from his fight with Envy, but he didn't have a chance; Envy grabbed him by the hair and yanked. "Owww hey, cheap shot!" he growled, turning back to the fight.

"This isn't a party," Envy replied smugly. "This is war, pipsqueak!"

"Don't call me a pipsqueak!" Ed swung hard, and managed to connect with Envy's face again.

In the whirl he caught only glimpses of the rest of the room. Greed fighting Gluttony, Dante laughing, Alphonse crying out as the black tendrils reached for him. Then…Greed and Gluttony were between Alphonse and the Gate, and Greed was getting grabbed, yanked hard, and suddenly the Gate slammed shut again, leaving Alphonse crouched down, and Gluttony snarling. He turned, his beady eyes fixing on Alphonse, who got up and ran, heading for Dante. Gluttony roared and followed.

Ed kept fighting. He had to end this and help his brother! They had to finish things off, and there was no waiting for Mustang. It would be a couple of hours before he would even show up; and he 'had' to take out Bradley! Who must be Pride, since they seemed to be dealing with all the others on their own! Mustang owed him for this one! Maybe a nice raise, or an apartment he and Al could share instead of bumming off others, or free meals for the rest of time!

Then it happened; something he could never have expected; the person falling down on top of him was his mother! He was shocked enough the tip wavered, and Ed moved. "So that's your little parlor trick," he snarled. "I already killed Sloth," he pointed out angrily. "She had my mother's face! That's not good enough," he charged in as Envy landed, grabbing him and getting a hold around his throat.

Envy laughed. "How about this one?" he smirked, his face changing to Mustang.

"Even easier!" Ed slammed his fist down into that smug expression that fit Mustang's all too well.

"Oh, come on, Edward, is that the best you can do?" the face changed again, to Hohenheim, then even Winry once under his fist. Ed missed on that one, but he had Envy pinned, arms and legs so he couldn't get leverage again.

"Show me your real face you coward!" Ed yelled as he kept hitting.

"If that's what you really want," Envy snorted. "You mean this one?"

The face below him was… it looked like Hohenheim, but not quite; like Edward, but again not quite. It was…. Envy's smiled. "I was his first. The one he should have loved! That bastard!"

Ed froze.

"Edward, no!" he heard Alphonse yelling, and felt something slam into him from two directions at once.

Sudden searing, horrible pain wracked his body, emanating from his mid-section and the air rushed from his lungs. Trembling, Ed looked down at Envy's arm, shaped like a sword and run right into his midsection. The pain was all he could feel. Envy's grinning face like salt on the wound as he yanked his arm out and Ed felt himself collapsing to the ground. There was nothing but the pain, made even worse by the jarring feeling as he hit the ground. The world around him had gone blurry.

Oddly enough, his mind seemed clarified, wiped free of fear. So this was dying. As his body fought for ragged breath, to live, his mind considered how easy it would be to finally give up.

"Brother!"

Ed's eyes forced open a crack, almost against his will. Unfocused, blurred, he could still make out Alphonse's shape above him. "Al…" he croaked. His eyes stung. "I'm sorry."

"Edward!" Alphonse was crying hard. "You can't die, Brother! I won't let you!"

Ed felt the edges of his mouth curve up in a small smile as his eyes fell closed again. "Tell Winry…I…."

Tell Winry I love her, and I'm sorry I broke my promise.

The edges of oblivion were white in the blackness, sharp and clear and clean. Awareness returned slowly. He heard footsteps, little rattlings, breathing, the blur of quiet conversation. He smelled anti-septic.

Then the pain returned. So, this wasn't death after all. He could feel his body, and it hurt like hell.

Ed opened one eye, wincing at the bright light. He groaned softly, and tried again.

"He's awake," he heard someone say. It wasn't a voice he recognized.

The second one however. "Edward?" Was that?

Ed forced himself to open his eyes again, and focused on deep blue eyes framed by blonde hair. "Winry?"

Though her face looked as if she had been crying – a lot – Winry smiled at him. "Oh, Ed. Thank goodness you're alright."

Ed tried to sit up, gasped, and lay still, grimacing. "We may need to work on your definition of 'all right.'"

"Don't try to get up," came the other female voice again. Now that he could see, Ed realized it was a nurse. A hospital; of course. "Your wound is very severe. We don't want it reopening."

No, Ed considered, as the full recollection of his last conscious moments returned to him, he most certainly didn't. "How…am I alive?" he asked. He hated how halting and weak his voice sounded, but it was better than the alternative he supposed!

"Your brother managed to staunch the blood flow for a while," the nurse replied before she stepped out the door, leaving them alone.

"Really though, it was Winry," Alphonse's voice came from the doorway. His brother was actually smiling, though he looked pretty ragged to, and his right arm was in a sling. "She brought help. If she'd gotten there any later, we'd have lost you."

Ed closed his eyes again, feeling stinging tears along the edges. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward," Winry actually chuckled. What was up with that? She was furious with him the last he knew! He looked back up at her. "You saved the day. You should be proud."

Ed shook his head. "I almost ruined the entire thing. Without me…"

"I'd be dead, or in that bed instead of you," Alphonse replied, shaking his head. "It won't work, Brother. You're the one who figured out how to win that fight, and where to find them. You're going to have to take credit for this. You're a hero."

A hero. Funny. This was what he had been trying for the whole time and now, he couldn't bring himself to feel any pride or sense of accomplishment. It had needed doing, it had been done. That was all. All he really felt was an immense weight; tiredness that weighed on him physically. "What happened to Dante?"

"Gluttony ate her," Alphonse replied, grimacing. "It wasn't pretty. Dante tried to open the gate again, and Gluttony got her and Wrath too, but then he got pulled through the Gate. So did Envy before I could get him; I'm sorry, Brother."

"That's all right," Ed said. "They're gone, that's what matters. Did the girl get out?"

Winry nodded. "She and her baby are fine now."

"And Mustang? Did the attack work?" If Bradley was still in power, than they were in even more danger now than before.

"In the next room," Hughes chuckled as he walked in the door. "Grousing about being injured, and short an eye, but he'll be fine."

"So it's over." Ed closed his eyes again, his muscles relaxing. "Now what?"

"Now, you get better," Winry chuckled softly.

One eye cracked open. "You're being awfully nice again."

Her expression softened. Under the sheet, Winry's hand found his and gave it a squeeze. "You almost died, Edward. When I got there, I thought I might already be too late. There was so much blood on the floor…" A tear escaped one eye and ran down the side of her face. Her voice was thick with emotion. "I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I'm still not. I love you, Ed. Compared to that, a few disagreements don't mean a thing." She leaned forward then, and her lips brushed his gently.

Ed wanted to deepen the kiss, to give himself fully over to it, but responding at all was the best he could manage. Still, it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

Maes Hughes stood in the doorway, watching them with a smile on his face. He'd just finished watching the amusing interplay between Roy and Riza in the very next room. Ah, love!

"Excuse me, but…" the nurse paused in the doorway, and then moved forward to intercede.

Maes held out a hand. "Let them be," he said softly. "Now, the real healing can begin."

FINIS


End file.
